Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales has warned the 20mph speed limit as a default will seriously affect residents and businesses in North Wales.
Speaking in the Senedd, Mr Rowlands, Shadow Minister for Local Government and harsh critic of the proposals said:
The Welsh Government's own explanatory memorandum to the Bill says that this default 20mph speed limit will cost the Welsh economy £4.5 billion. This is people's jobs, businesses, and livelihoods that are impacted as a result of this legislation.
We do support 20mph speed limits outside of areas where it's absolutely necessary, such as schools and hospitals, and heavily pedestrianised areas. But this default limit is going to have such a detrimental impact on the economy, and as the Minister for the Economy, I'd have thought you'd be significantly concerned at the impact it's going to have.
Mr Rowlands asked the Minister, Vaughan Gething, what would he say to residents and businesses in North Wales, who believe that the 20mph speed limit as a default will slow down the Welsh economy and where did he see the Welsh economy making up that deficit of £4.5 billion.
The Minister said local authorities, who know their communities best, are in a position to change and to alter speed limits on some of those routes and there are much bigger challenges facing the economy of Wales today.
Mr Rowlands added:
Quite clearly the Welsh Labour Government is still not willing to listen to how these constraints will affect people going about their daily lives. For the past 12 months I have been supporting campaigners in Buckley, who are totally against the implementation of such a scheme in their town. Despite public opinion Welsh Government decided to impose this across the whole of the country.
Instead of slowing Wales down, Labour should grip the wheel and get Wales moving again with a pro-growth, pro-business, pro-worker programme that works for those who need to drive.
Sam Rowlands AS yn tynnu sylw at effaith niweidiol y cyfyngiad 20mya diofyn yn y Gogledd
Mae Sam Rowlands, Aelod o’r Senedd dros Ogledd Cymru, wedi rhybuddio y bydd y terfyn cyflymder 20mya diofyn yn effeithio'n ddifrifol ar drigolion a busnesau yn y Gogledd.
Wrth siarad yn y Senedd, dywedodd Mr Rowlands, Gweinidog Llywodraeth Leol yr Wrthblaid a beirniad llym o'r cynigion:
Mae memorandwm esboniadol Llywodraeth Cymru ei hun i'r Bil yn dweud y bydd y terfyn cyflymder diofyn hwn o 20mya yn costio £4.5 biliwn i economi Cymru. Swyddi, busnesau a bywoliaeth pobl sy'n cael eu heffeithio o ganlyniad i'r ddeddfwriaeth hon.
Rydyn ni'n cefnogi terfynau cyflymder 20mya y tu allan i lefydd lle mae'n gwbl angenrheidiol, fel ysgolion ac ysbytai, a mannau lle ceir llawer o gerddwyr. Ond mae'r terfyn diofyn hwn yn mynd i gael effaith mor niweidiol ar yr economi, ac fel Gweinidog yr Economi, byddwn i wedi meddwl y byddech chi'n poeni'n fawr am yr effaith y bydd yn ei chael.
Gofynnodd Mr Rowlands i'r Gweinidog, Vaughan Gething, beth fyddai'n ei ddweud wrth drigolion a busnesau yn y Gogledd sy'n credu y bydd y terfyn cyflymder 20mya diofyn yn arafu economi Cymru, a ble mae’n gweld y gallai economi Cymru wneud iawn am y diffyg hwnnw o £4.5 biliwn.
Dywedodd y Gweinidog bod awdurdodau lleol, sy'n adnabod eu cymunedau orau, mewn sefyllfa i newid ac addasu cyfyngiadau cyflymder ar rai o'r ffyrdd hynny ac mae heriau llawer mwy yn wynebu economi Cymru heddiw.
Ychwanegodd Mr Rowlands:
Mae’n gwbl amlwg nad yw Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru yn fodlon gwrando o hyd ar sut y bydd y terfynau hyn yn effeithio ar bobl yn eu bywydau bob dydd. Dros y 12 mis diwethaf rwyf wedi bod yn cefnogi ymgyrchwyr ym Mwcle, sy'n llwyr wrthwynebu gweithredu cynllun o'r fath yn eu tref. Er gwaethaf y farn gyhoeddus penderfynodd Llywodraeth Cymru orfodi hyn o Fôn i Fynwy.
Yn hytrach nag arafu Cymru, dylai Llafur roi ei throed ar y sbardun a chael Cymru’n symud eto gyda rhaglen o blaid twf, o blaid busnes, o blaid gweithwyr, sy'n gweithio i'r rhai sydd angen gyrru.
