A Welsh magistrate has resigned because he was unwilling to punish motorists for breaking the national 20 mph speed limit.
Nick Colbourne, who served as a magistrate in Mold and Wrexham Law Courts in Wales for 18 years, said he felt “uneasy” about imposing a £100 fine on drivers doing 24 or 25 mph. Drivers may have to foot a larger bill if court costs and victim surcharges are added to the fine.
The 20 mph speed limit on residential roads and busy pedestrian streets was introduced in Wales in September.
The Welsh government was guided by evidence that decreasing speeds reduces collision and helps improve quality of life.
But the former police officer and Wrexham county councillor, Mr. Colbourne, said while he accepted the 20 mph limit outside schools, a blanket coverage across Wales “was not the answer.”
“If an idiot is going to drive through somewhere at say 60 mph, they’re going to do it whether the limit is 20 or 30,” Mr. Colbourne said.
The Welsh government has argued that children need protection on the road throughout their whole journey home from school, not just outside the school premises.
Mr. Colbourne also questioned other aspects of the legislation, which he called “ill thought.”
He said a man had appeared in his court after driving 62 mph on the A483 road in Wrexham, where the limit is 50 mph. Mr. Colbourne explained that the man was driving an electric van.
“But if you’re in an electric vehicle, how are you creating any more pollution? They can’t justify it,” the former magistrate said.
Air Quality
An official statement, cited by the Leader, said that data suggest a positive impact of speed limits on air quality across all locations.While electric vehicles don’t produce exhaust pollution, they “still produce particulate matter (PM) pollution due to tyre and road wear,” said a Welsh government spokesperson.
“Introducing different speed limits for electric cars would lead to road safety issues and reduce effectiveness,” the spokesperson added.
Amid concerns that the newly introduced speed limit will affect emergency services, the government response said there won’t be a delay in emergency response.
The introduction of the 20 mph default speed limit does not change the law, which states that police, fire, and ambulance services are allowed to exceed speed limits to respond to emergency calls.
The 20 mph speed limit was introduced following the recommendations of a government report and the trial of the speed limit in eight areas during 2021–2022.
A study carried out by Transport for Wales found that drivers in trial areas only reduced their speeds by 3 mph. The findings failed to show evidence of reduced road casualties for pedestrians and cyclists. It reported that reducing the speed limit from 30 mph to 20 mph had “no material effect” on air quality.
Last week, Welsh bus operator Arriva said that some of its routes could be cut or changed owing to the impact of the 20 mph speed limit.
The operator is considering changes to five bus routes, having said that it “won’t be popular” with passengers but the service had to operate on time.
The government maintains that where there is an impact on journey times, it would “only be around 1 minute longer.”
It cited the examples of other countries, including Spain, France, and Italy, where 30 kph and 20 mph limits are being introduced.
Currently, there are plans to introduce the 20 mph limits in built-up areas in Cornwall and Scotland.
