Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, urges the Welsh Government to scrap a ‘bonkers idea’ for a blanket nationwide 20mph speed limit across Wales.
Mr Rowlands, Shadow Minister for Local Government, was commenting after asking people living in Buckley and the surrounding areas for their feedback with the overwhelming majority totally against the proposal.
In the survey which was sent to every household he said:
Over recent months people across Buckley have reached out to express their frustration at the Welsh Government’s plans to reduce the urban speed limit across Wales from 30mph to 20mph.
I am sure many people will agree 20mph speed limits outside schools, hospital and other roads where there is clear evidence that lower speed limits are backed by the local community but not as a blanket approach and on arterial roads.
Buckley hosted a pilot for the new 20mph default speed limit and local residents have written to me to say they have seen – more pollution with cars driving for longer in a lower gear; more accidents as cars and bicycles are more likely to share the same road space for longer and more delays as traffic becomes congested and everyone drives slower.
The Welsh Government have admitted that their new 20mph default speed limit will cost £33million to set up. That’s £33million that could be spent on more doctors, nurses and teachers. But that is only the tip of the iceberg. They’ve also acknowledged that the new blanket speed limit will cost the Welsh economy £4.5 billion. That’s less income for Welsh Businesses, potential job losses for Welsh workers and less funding for local services.
Mr Rowlands asked for feedback and almost 600 people responded with the overwhelming majority, 98% against the proposals.
Many of the comments said it was not needed and a total waste of money.
Only yesterday it was announced that a petition to scrap plans to introduce a 20mph speed limit in residential areas in Wales, had gained more than 21,000 signatures and the Senedd’s Petition Committee were asking the Welsh Parliament to discuss the issue again.
Mr Rowlands, who himself signed the petition and is a harsh critic of the proposal said:
I am absolutely delighted that we are going to have the opportunity to debate the matter again and hope that Ministers Mark Drakeford, Lee Waters and the rest of the Cardiff-Bay based Welsh Labour Government will listen to us because we know the views of our constituents.
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. Like most people I am not against 20mph speed limit outside schools, hospitals and other areas where evidence shows it’s a benefit, but a blanket 20mph speed limit across urban roads in Wales is just not right.
Flintshire Council have recently announced that they will be looking to change the speed limit on Liverpool Road, one of Buckley’s main arterial roads, back to 30mph if allowed under the Welsh Government’s criteria. Everyone gets that the new speed limit is a bonkers idea except for Mark Drakeford and Lee Waters in their ivory towers in Cardiff-Bay.
I make no apology for once again expressing my concern over the detrimental impact this default limit is going to have on people going about their daily lives and businesses. 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 galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i wrando ar y cyhoedd
Mae Sam Rowlands, AS Gogledd Cymru, yn annog Llywodraeth Cymru i gael gwared ar y ‘syniad hollol hurt’ o osod terfyn cyflymder 20mya ar hyd a lled Cymru
Roedd Mr Rowlands, Gweinidog yr Wrthblaid dros Lywodraeth Leol, yn gwneud sylw ar ôl gofyn i bobl sy'n byw ym Mwcle a'r cyffiniau am eu hadborth gyda'r mwyafrif llethol yn erbyn y cynnig.
Yn yr arolwg a anfonwyd at bob cartref dywedodd:
Dros y misoedd diwethaf mae pobl ledled Bwcle wedi mynegi eu rhwystredigaeth am gynlluniau Llywodraeth Cymru i leihau'r terfyn cyflymder trefol ledled Cymru o 30mya i 20mya.
Dwi'n siŵr y bydd llawer o bobl yn cytuno ar derfynau cyflymder 20mya y tu allan i ysgolion, ysbytai a ffyrdd eraill lle mae tystiolaeth glir bod y gymuned leol yn cefnogi terfynau cyflymder is, ond nid fel dull cyffredinol ac ar ffyrdd prifwythiennol.
Cynhaliodd Bwcle beilot ar gyfer y terfyn cyflymder diofyn newydd o 20mya ac mae trigolion lleol wedi ysgrifennu ataf i ddweud eu bod wedi gweld - mwy o lygredd gyda cheir yn gyrru'n hirach mewn gêr is; mwy o ddamweiniau gan fod ceir a beiciau yn fwy tebygol o rannu'r un lle ar y ffordd am fwy o amser, a rhagor o oedi gyda mwy o dagfeydd a phawb yn gyrru'n arafach.
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cyfaddef y bydd eu terfyn cyflymder diofyn newydd o 20mya yn costio £33 miliwn i'w sefydlu. Mae hynny'n £33 miliwn y gellid ei wario ar fwy o feddygon, nyrsys ac athrawon. Ond dim ond megis dechrau yw hynny. Maen nhw hefyd wedi cydnabod y bydd y terfyn cyflymder cyffredinol newydd yn costio £4.5 biliwn i economi Cymru. Mae hynny'n llai o incwm i fusnesau Cymru, colli swyddi posibl i weithwyr Cymru a llai o gyllid ar gyfer gwasanaethau lleol.
Gofynnodd Mr Rowlands am adborth, ac ymatebodd bron i 600 o bobl gyda'r mwyafrif llethol, 98% yn erbyn y cynigion.
Roedd llawer o'r sylwadau yn dweud ei fod yn ddiangen, ac yn wastraff arian llwyr.
Dim ond ddoe cyhoeddwyd bod deiseb i ddileu cynlluniau i gyflwyno terfyn cyflymder o 20mya mewn ardaloedd preswyl yng Nghymru, wedi denu 21,000 a mwy o lofnodion a bod Pwyllgor Deisebau'r Senedd yn gofyn i Senedd Cymru drafod y mater eto.
Dywedodd Mr Rowlands, a lofnododd y ddeiseb ei hun ac sy'n beirniadu'r cynnig yn hallt:
Dwi mor falch y byddwn ni'n cael cyfle i drafod y mater eto ac rwy'n gobeithio y bydd y Gweinidogion Mark Drakeford, Lee Waters a gweddill Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru ym Mae Caerdydd yn gwrando arnon ni oherwydd ein bod ni'n gwybod barn ein hetholwyr.
Dros y 12 mis diwethaf, dwi wedi bod yn cefnogi ymgyrchwyr Bwcle, sy'n gwrthwynebu cynllun o'r fath yn eu tref. Fel y rhan fwyaf o bobl, dwi ddim yn erbyn terfyn cyflymder o 20mya y tu allan i ysgolion, ysbytai ac ardaloedd eraill lle mae tystiolaeth yn dangos ei fod o fudd, ond nid yw terfyn cyflymder cyffredinol o 20mya ar draws ffyrdd trefol yng Nghymru yn iawn.
Mae Cyngor Sir y Fflint wedi cyhoeddi'n ddiweddar y byddan nhw'n ystyried newid y terfyn cyflymder ar Ffordd Lerpwl, un o brif ffyrdd prifwythiennol Bwcle, yn ôl i 30mya os caniateir hynny dan feini prawf Llywodraeth Cymru. Mae pawb yn meddwl bod y terfyn cyflymder newydd yn hollol hurt, heblaw am Mark Drakeford a Lee Waters yn eu tyrau ifori ym Mae Caerdydd.
Nid wyf yn ymddiheuro am fynegi fy mhryder unwaith eto am effaith niweidiol bosibl y terfyn cyflymder ar bobl a busnesau o ddydd i ddydd. Yn hytrach nag arafu Cymru, dylai Llafur fachu'r olwyn a llywio Cymru gyda rhaglen o blaid twf, busnesau a gweithwyr sydd o blaid pawb sydd angen gyrru o gwmpas.
