The debate over Wales' 20mph speed limit rages on - with opposition within Labour's own ranks joining other voices raising serious questions over the default limit. The rules changed on September 17 - with most roads that had been 30mph changing to 20mph.
For many the claimed "blanket" approach for the roads has been overkill. As well as criticism aimed at Welsh Government, councils have also been under fire for failing to introduce sufficient exempt roads that stay at 30mph. Most are now reviewing these in light of the feedback.
But one retired transport chief has hit back at those who complain about the limit slowing down traffic and increasing journey times. Ex-Conwy Council transport boss Bob Saxby, a retired civil engineer, said there is one question that those opposed to the 20mph limit in towns should ask themselves.
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That is: "How much inconvenience is a child’s life worth?" This followed a debate on the North Wales Live site where some drivers were talking about using the A55 more rather than going through towns.
He said: "How much inconvenience is a child’s life worth? Is a question once posed by a councillor in a debate on road safety. That is a question that those opposed to the 20 limit in towns should ask themselves.
"If people driving through Colwyn Bay are now choosing to use the A55 they are not at risk of hitting a pedestrian now and people in Colwyn Bay are that much safer."
Obviously fewer cars through a town centre will reduce the risk of collisions in those areas with a higher number of pedestrians and cyclists. In addition studies show a significant reduction in the likelihood of a child being killed or badly injured if they are hit at 20mph rather than 30mph.
A recent study highlighted by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents put the chance of someone being fatally injured at 1.5% at 20 mph versus 8% at 30 mph. However critics of the new limit say it is not that simple.
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They point out that it impacts some emergency services personnel, like retained fire crews heading to stations after call-outs. There are also claims the £32m cost of rolling out scheme could have been spent on the NHS or on targeted safety projects at accident blackspots.
Welsh Conservative Shadow Transport Minister, Natasha Asghar MS picked up the point about firefighters after it was raised at this week's Question Time in Llandudno. She said: “This is a crucial point that has been sadly understated during this whole debate surrounding Labour’s deeply unpopular blanket 20mph speed limits.
"Firefighters who have to drive from their homes to the station when there is a fire in their community will have to drive slower at 20mph. The Labour Welsh Government, with their extreme and short-sighted ideology, have not only ignored the views of the Welsh public, they have also ignored legitimate concerns surrounding safety.
"This is not the first time that firefighters have expressed this concern and it won’t be the last. Only the Welsh Conservatives will scrap this costly vanity project and restore sanity to our roads.”
The Welsh Government have expressed their belief emergency responses would not be affected by the change. They also said the changes are not "blanket" measures, and said it was expected that support would rise when people saw the benefits of the change.
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