Wales could see the national speed limit increased over a debate to scrap the zones for residential roads.

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The Welsh Conservatives want the Welsh Government to have a more “targeted approach” to the speed limit currently set at 20mph.

Shadow Transport Minister Natasha Asghar MS said Labour ministers are “pushing their anti-motorist agenda”.

Ashgar said: “The people of Wales want to get on with their daily lives, yet Labour’s lack of investment in public transport, road building ban, and 20mph speed limits are preventing them from doing exactly this.

“We’ll be calling on the Welsh Labour Government to end their war on motorists, scrap their road building ban and 20mph speed limits, and to get Wales moving again.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The Cabinet Secretary has been clear that his immediate priority on 20mph is to listen.

“To support this, in the weeks ahead he will be engaging with elected representatives, businesses and communities across Wales.”

A petition opposing the 20mph limit, which closed on March 13, has gained nearly half a million signatures, amassing 469,571.

The Petitions Committee considers all petitions that get more than 10,000 signatures for a debate

It says: “The new 20mph law is coming into force on the 17th September and it will mark the end of having socialism in power in Wales.

“Welsh Government claim to have supporting evidence stating that reducing to 20mph EVERWHERE saves lives!

“Yet we get flyers merely claiming that it will, and opinions from doctors that see RTCs coming into A&E. This is NOT evidence. The only true evidence is from Belfast and it states it makes NO DIFFERENCE to RTCs!”

“At least one of the trial villages in Monmouthshire actually reverted their trial because it was causing absolute carnage on the roads!

“Mark Drakeford has come out claiming it is a success in St Brides Major but every time I go though there NO ONE is driving at 20mph.

“The Welsh Government has FAILED to produce ANY convincing evidence to support these claims of safety.

“This law is being spearheaded by the WG Climate Change department and NOT Health & Safety!! YOU HAVE NOT LISTENED TO US.

“The Welsh Government was put there BY THE PEOPLE OF WALES, We are your boss! We demand that this foolish idea be stopped.”

In London, Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced that on half the roads in the capital the speed limit is to be cut to 20 miles an hour.

While in September 2023, Transport Secretary Mark Harper, 53, said widespread use of a 20mph limit “damages the ability” for the zones to have an impact on roads where a lower speed is required for safety reasons because drivers are “less likely to comply”.

The Conservative Cabinet minister told Times Radio that a study commissioned by the DfT indicated a reduction to 20mph “doesn’t actually make much difference” to driver speeds.

The study published in November 2018 found 20mph limits in residential areas were supported by the majority of residents and drivers.

The report concluded there was no evidence of a significant drop in the number of crashes and casualties after the introduction of 20mph limits.

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