New plans are being introduced to crack down on “anti-driver” road schemes and blanket 20mph limits to ensure that local authorities can make informed decisions.
As part of the Plan for Drivers, the Government said the new schemes would improve the lives of motorists, slash journey times and ensure traffic measures have the backing of local residents.
Under new measures, councils have received strengthened guidance on setting controversial 20mph speed limits.
It will remind local authorities that the road traffic measures should be reserved for “sensible and appropriate areas only”, including outside schools.
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New guidance aims to crack down on 'anti-driver' measures
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The Government stressed that the 20mph speed limits should have the support of the local area and that safety should be the main priority.
The new measures state: “Local authorities are expected to consider this guidance, and as with the LTN guidance, this could have implications for the awarding of funding in the future.”
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the new measures were crucial in supporting motorists with their journeys and ensuring they can get around in an efficient manner.
He added: “We want local people to have their voices heard, and any traffic schemes to have the consent of those they impact.
“Well-thought-out schemes, like 20mph limits outside schools, can make our roads safer, but we are raising the bar to help ensure all traffic schemes work for everyone in the community.
“We’re on the side of drivers, and these latest measures show we’re getting on with delivering what we promised in our Plan for Drivers – making their lives better, fairer and cheaper, and helping people travel in the way that works best for them.”
Any speed limits below 30mph, other than 20mph limits or 20mph zones, require individual consent from the Secretary of State for Transport.
It adds that authorities should be mindful that 20mph speed limits and zones are “an important tool” in improving road safety in residential areas.
However, using them too much risks undermining public acceptance, which has frequently been used as a point of concern for the introduction of 20mph limits in Wales.
From now on, traffic authorities should only consider 20mph limits with the consideration of the safety case and local support.
The introduction of 20mph speed limits has become one of the largest issues in Wales in recent months, contributing greatly to First Minister Mark Drakeford’s decision to step down.
The law changes were met with anger from many drivers across the country, with a petition calling for them to be scrapped reaching almost 470,000 signatures, the most in Senedd history.
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Wales slashed speed limits on residential roads to 20mph in September
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Speaking recently, Mark Drakeford, said: “You can either just spend your time sitting back and doing the easy things, and hanging on to the political capital that you've accumulated, or you can do the difficult things, the challenging things.
"I'm absolutely open to the fact that other reasonable people could have come to different decisions, but what I was trying to explain was the state of knowledge at the time.
“The decisions that we made in Wales were reasonable decisions and I think that's the real test."