The climate minister behind the wildly controversial decision to slash speed limits to 20mph across Wales said he “hopes” some roads will return to 30mph.
Wales became the first country in the UK to cut speed limits on restricted roads from 30mph to 20mph across the country in a bid to boost road safety.
While the decision was praised by road safety experts, drivers across the country voiced their displeasure with the scheme, bashing the Government and vandalising 20mph signs.
Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Climate Change, has been one of the biggest proponents of the scheme, introducing the 20mph speed limit changes in 2018 before receiving backing from First Minister Mark Drakeford in July 2020.
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Lee Waters said he 'hopes' councils overturn some 20mph speed limits
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The Labour MS for Llanelli said councils were initially “very nervous” to keep roads at a higher speed limit but are now encouraged to do it where it is suitable to do so.
Speed limits were changed in September 2023, with Waters describing it as the “biggest change to the rules of the road in over a generation”.
A review has been launched to analyse how the speed limits were introduced as well as how effective it has been in cutting average speeds on roads.
He said the 22 councils across Wales had taken “different approaches” to the changing regulations, admitting that there are “some problems we need to iron out”.
Lee Waters added: “To be fair to councils, some of these judgements are not black and white. By and large, people are driving slower," he told ITV Wales’ Sharp End programme.
Responding to a question of whether roads would return to 30mph, the Deputy Climate Change Minister said: “Well I hope so because that’s always been the balance.
“We’re now giving them encouragement to say well ‘different authorities have done this differently and you can’.
“But obviously we don’t want people going completely off beam because we want a national consistency.”
The Welsh Government has been hammered by the issue of cutting speed limits to 20mph on residential roads with a furious backlash from drivers.
A petition was launched calling on the Government to “rescind and remove the disastrous 20mph law” which has attracted more than 468,000 signatures – the most successful petition on the Senedd website.
The Government is expected to debate the law in March once the petition comes to an end with Mark Baker, the creator of the petition, saying the people of Wales have been ignored.
Criticism from rival politicians has also been significant with Conservative Shadow Transport Minister Natasha Asghar branding the new speed limits as a “madcap policy” pushed through by Labour’s “socialist agenda”.
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The 20mph speed limit changes were launched in September last year
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Former Conservative minister Kit Malthouse has suggested that motorists should avoid any fines if they are caught breaking the speed limit between 20mph and 30mph.
Through his Road Traffic and Street Works Bill, the Conservative MP for North West Hampshire said people should instead attend a speed awareness course.