The Labour Welsh Government’s default 20mph policy is back on the agenda this week in the Senedd, thanks to a petition which attracted nearly 500,000 signatures.
That really is an incredible number, and it was the biggest petition in the Welsh Parliament’s history, and has now come to a close.
It’s fair to say that people in Welsh Government didn’t like that!
There are lots of Senedd Members who want to speak in the debate, and we know that people across Wrexham, Flintshire and the rest of Wales will be interested, too.
I’ve been involved in this since the early trials which took place in Buckley, and I’ve been standing up in favour of common sense and letting local people decide – not submitting to a diktat from Cardiff Bay.
Since the policy was implemented nation-wide, we have had a new First Minister and Transport Minister. Unfortunately, they have decided to keep their default 20mph policy, with just some very minor tinkering at the edges.
That won’t fool anyone, but I still call on them to ditch it and encourage implementation of 20mph in common sense areas, such as outside schools and hospitals.
We have also seen a gradual unravelling of the arguments used in favour of the policy. One of the common arguments for 20mph was that it would reduce pollution, but a recent report by Transport for Wales doesn’t actually come to that conclusion.
During their investigations, TfW found that in two locations 20mph helped air quality, and in two others it actually made air quality worse. So, in half of the locations they tested, 20mph made air quality worse.
That is concerning, and certainly doesn’t support the argument that 20mph actually improves air quality and therefore people’s health.
I am concerned that Cardiff Labour will just keep ignoring evidence like this, because it doesn’t support their ideological viewpoint. We should always look at the evidence and trust local views. Anything less does a serious disservice to you, the people we represent.
It’s never too late to ditch a bad policy, and I hope that Welsh Government Ministers will think again and do the right thing for the people of Wales.
As ever, if you have any queries or issues you’d like to raise with me, then you can get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Fy marn i - The Leader
Mae polisi 20mya cyffredinol Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru yn ôl ar yr agenda'r wythnos hon yn y Senedd, diolch i ddeiseb a ddenodd bron i 500,000 o lofnodion.
Mae hynny’n nifer anhygoel heb os, a dyma'r ddeiseb fwyaf yn hanes y Senedd, ac mae bellach wedi dod i ben.
Mae'n deg dweud nad oedd pobl yn Llywodraeth Cymru’n hoffi hynny!
Mae yna lawer o Aelodau o’r Senedd sydd eisiau cyfrannu at y ddadl, a gwyddom y bydd gan bobl ledled Wrecsam, Sir y Fflint a gweddill Cymru ddiddordeb hefyd.
Rydw i wedi bod yn ymwneud â hyn ers y treialon cynnar a gynhaliwyd ym Mwcle, ac rwyf wedi bod o blaid defnyddio ein synnwyr cyffredin a gadael i bobl leol benderfynu – nid ildio i orchymyn o Fae Caerdydd.
Ers i'r polisi gael ei roi ar waith ledled y wlad, mae gennym Brif Weinidog a Gweinidog Trafnidiaeth newydd. Yn anffodus, maen nhw wedi penderfynu cadw eu polisi 20mya cyffredinol, gyda dim mwy na mân newidiadau.
Dyw hynny ddim yn twyllo neb, ond rwy'n dal i alw arnyn nhw i'w roi i’r neilltu ac annog gweithredu 20mya mewn ardaloedd lle mae hynny’n gwneud synnwyr, fel y tu allan i ysgolion ac ysbytai.
Rydyn ni wedi gweld y dadleuon o blaid y polisi’n graddol chwythu’u plwc hefyd. Un o'r dadleuon cyffredin dros 20mya oedd y byddai'n lleihau llygredd, ond dyw adroddiad diweddar gan Trafnidiaeth Cymru ddim yn dod i'r casgliad hwnnw.
Yn ystod eu hymchwiliadau, canfu Trafnidiaeth Cymru fod 20mya yn helpu ansawdd aer mewn dau leoliad, ac mewn dau leoliad arall roedd yn gwneud ansawdd aer yn waeth. Felly, yn hanner y lleoliadau y gwnaethon nhw eu profi, gwnaeth 20mya ansawdd aer yn waeth.
Mae hynny'n peri pryder, ac yn sicr nid yw'n cefnogi'r ddadl bod 20mya yn gwella ansawdd aer ac felly iechyd pobl.
Rwy'n poeni y bydd Llafur Caerdydd yn parhau i anwybyddu tystiolaeth fel hyn, gan nad yw'n cefnogi eu safbwynt ideolegol. Dylem edrych ar y dystiolaeth ac ymddiried mewn safbwyntiau lleol bob amser. Mae unrhyw beth llai yn eich diystyru chi, y bobl rydyn ni'n eu cynrychioli.
Dyw hi byth yn rhy hwyr i gael gwared ar bolisi gwael, ac rwy’n gobeithio y bydd Gweinidogion Llywodraeth Cymru’n ailystyried ac yn gwneud y peth iawn i bobl Cymru.
Fel erioed, os oes gennych chi unrhyw ymholiadau neu faterion yr hoffech eu codi gyda mi, yna gallwch gysylltu â mi drwy e-bostio [email protected].
