THIS week, Regional MS Laura Anne Jones criticised the Welsh Government’s default 20mph speed limit policy during a fiery exchange with the First Minister in the Senedd, warning that the policy has damaged the Welsh economy and ignored the clear views of the Welsh public.

Speaking in the Chamber, Ms Jones highlighted that improvements in vehicle safety have already helped drive down road casualties right across the UK.

Ms Jones said:

“Road casualties have gone down right across the United Kingdom because cars are getting safer. It is a known fact.”

She went on to challenge the economic impact of the policy, pointing out that Welsh Government analysis has estimated the cost to the Welsh economy at around £9 billion.

The local MS continued in the Senedd:

“It needs to be asked: has this ill thought out policy already cost our country a lot of money? Yes. Will it cost an awful lot to reverse? Yes. But how much has it cost our Welsh economy? By the Government’s own calculations, this has cost £9 billion. So you cannot say it has been a good policy. It has been a disaster from start to finish.”

The Regional MS also referenced the record breaking public petition calling for the policy to be scrapped, which attracted around 500,000 signatures, the largest petition ever submitted to the Senedd.

Ms Jones emphasised that:

“No one across this Chamber disagrees that 20mph should be the case outside schools and hospitals and where it is appropriate. It is disingenuous to say anything else.

But this default 20mph policy needs to be reversed.”

Reform Wales has pledged to scrap the default 20mph policy if elected in the upcoming Senedd election on May 7.