20mph speed limit debate erupts into chaos as 'draconian' law changes bring Wales 'to a standstill'

The record-breaking petition, which amassed nearly 500,000 signatures, was debated in the Senedd for the first time since the 20mph limits were unveiled last September.

It managed to secure more votes than any other petition in Senedd history, having more than six times the number of signatures than petitions regarding the NHS and pandemic restrictions.

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Speaking in the Welsh Senedd, Natasha Asghar, the Shadow Minister for Transport said driver frustration stemmed from the fact the policy is “draconian in every sense of the word".

The Conservative MS for South Wales East warned that the policy is “poised” to deliver a £9billion blow to the economy and has hampered emergency services.

Asghar said the changes had made Wales a “less attractive” place to live, work, visit and invest and that the limits were “quite literally” bringing the country to a standstill.

Joel James, MS for South Wales Central, claimed that for months leading up to the rollout, there was “huge” public opposition to this policy, which the Labour Government has “willfully ignored”.

However, there was a consensus and acknowledgement that 20mph limits need to be set around schools, playgrounds and areas of high pedestrian traffic.

But, James added that the 20mph speed limits on roads which do not fit the criteria were “ludicrous”.

He explained that the lower speed limits have been shown to cause an increase in the amount that traffic stops and restarts with evidence revealing that this “causes considerably more pollution” every time a driver revs the engine to move.

In response, Lee Waters, the former Transport Minister who stepped down last month, said a protest of this size “should make us pause and reflect".

Although the petition itself is full of misunderstandings and misinformation, he stated, the fact that hundreds of thousands of people put their names to it has “made us sit up and take notice”.

Admitting to overestimating the impact of both implementation and the response from the public, Waters said that “people are alive today because of this law”.

Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport, said 20mph speed limits have served to “polarise communities”.

He said: “I can guarantee we are listening. Now, let's work together to get the right speeds on the right roads for the people, businesses and communities we serve, for our own families and for all others across Wales.”

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Since being implemented, Transport for Wales revealed that speeds have reduced by an average of 4mph on the main roads where 20mph limits are in place.