The Scottish Government has been criticised after it was revealed that it plans to spend £45 million on putting in place 20mph zones on thousands of roads.
The changes come as part of a deal with the Scottish Greens, who demanded a blanket change to all 30mph areas in the Bute House Agreement. But SNP ministers have reduced this down to cover areas in built-up parts of the country, such as near to schools or in town and city centres.
Up to 35,929 sections of road will be impacted by the changes - the majority of the network across the country.
The deadline for their introduction is 2025, in plans which are estimated to cost up to £45.6 million.
The Scottish Government has been criticised after it was revealed that it plans to spend £45 million on putting in place 20mph zones on thousands of roads
PA
Scottish Conservative shadow transport minister Graham Simpson MSP accused the SNP of "hammering Scots with a £45million bill to enforce their latest anti-car policy".
He told the Scottish Daily Express: “We warned the Greens that this blanket roll-out of 20mph zones was an utterly flawed proposition, and the exorbitant cost of doing so should make it a complete non-starter.
“To hammer Scots with a £45million bill to enforce their latest anti-car policy would be ridiculous when they are already reeling from the SNP-Greens’ savage tax-and-axe budget.
"It should be for each council to decide where these 20mph zones are required, not Nationalist ministers, who clearly have not fully considered the full implications of a blanket roll-out, such as the possibility of greater emissions.
“Rather than furthering their war on our motorists, the SNP-Greens’ focus should be on ensuring our cash-strapped councils have the funds they need to repair our roads and impose the safety measures they see fit as we head towards Net Zero."
But a spokesperson for Transport Scotland said: "It’s important to remember that if you hit someone at 30mph then they are 7 times more likely to die than at 20mph.
"We are committed to implement 20mph speed limits on those roads, where it is appropriate to do so, by the end of 2025.
"More 20mph speed limits will improve road safety – keeping people safe, while at the same time making it easier for people to choose walking, wheeling and cycling for everyday journeys.
"The 20mph task group explored the most effective way of achieving that commitment in Scotland, which included local authorities identifying the number of roads on their own network which would be suitable for a speed limit of 20mph through a road assessment.
The deadline for their introduction is 2025, in plans which are estimated to cost up to £45.6 million
PA
"A delivery sub group made up of local authorities and Transport Scotland will oversee the implementation of 20mph speed limits, this will include actual costs to deliver as well as a detailed programme to meet the 2025 deadline.”
Sources told the Scottish Express that the £46m is an estimate, but that more discussions are needed on how much it will cost in the end.
The rollout of 20mph zones in Wales has attracted fury from road users and businesses, with growing demands to overturn the speed limits.