Welsh 20mph speed limit to be reviewed by one of the policy's architects
The Welsh Government has appointed one of the architects of the new 20mph speed limit to lead the review into how the policy works.
Phil Jones, who led the Wales 20mph Task Force Group in 2019, has been appointed by transport minister Lee Waters to look into the implementation of the policy by local authorities.
The appointment has been met with criticism from opposition parties, who have accused the Labour Government of “marking its own homework”.
Last year, Wales became the first country in the UK to reduce the default speed limit from 30mph to 20mph in built-up areas.
The review will examine how local councils consider exceptions to the 20mph law, which would allow routes to revert back to the original 30mph limit.
Plaid Cymru said that the review should be independent of those who played any part in the original legislation.
Policy itself will not change
Mr Waters said on Wednesday that he had asked Mr Jones “to consider whether further tweaks on the guidance on exceptions would be helpful”, such as allowing for the consideration of exempting major bus routes.
“Nobody anticipates this will involve wholescale changes and will focus on addressing anomalies,” he added.
It is understood that the policy itself will not change as a result of the review.
The final report of the task force led by Mr Jones concluded in July 2020 that a default 20mph speed limit should be introduced “as quickly as possible”, providing recommendations on how to implement the policy.
Mr Jones “welcomed” the new speed limit when it was introduced, according to the website of his engineering consultancy firm Phil Jones Associates, describing the new legislation as “of huge significance”.
‘Hugely unpopular 20mph speed limit’
Three consultancy firms, including Phil Jones Associates, were engaged by the Welsh Government to advise on the legislation, the Welsh Government revealed following a Freedom of Information request.
The total fee paid to the three – which also included transport planners Arup and Buchanan Computing – was £125,273.
Natasha Asghar, Conservative transport minister, said that with Mr Jones leading the review, it “will hardly be impartial and a true reflection of reality”.
“The Welsh Government is marking its own homework on the hugely unpopular 20mph speed limit.
“Surely the same people who recommended the Welsh government should implement this policy should not be leading the review into it,” she added.
A spokesman for Plaid Cymru told the BBC that the appointment of Mr Jones “will no doubt be seen by many as the Welsh government wanting to play judge and jury,” adding: “For its own credibility the review should be independent of those who played any part with the legislation.
“We need detail about how this review will be conducted, and how it intends to ensure that the further necessary exemptions are implemented promptly.”
Earlier this week, Mark Drakeford, the First Minister for Wales, conceded that the policy should be “fine-tuned” and kept “under review” to ensure consistency across different local authorities.
There have been “anomalies” in its introduction, he said, including with road signage which some drivers have complained is unclear.
A spokesman for the Welsh Government said: “This review, as we set out in October, is looking at how the new default 20mph speed limit has been implemented across Wales. It is not a review into the policy itself which has been overwhelmingly supported by Senedd members from three parties.
“As Phil Jones – a highly regarded transport planner and engineer – chaired the Welsh 20mph Task Force Group, he is well-placed to assess whether clarifications in the policy are needed to encourage greater consistency.”
