Glasgow is joining other UK cities by rolling out 20mph speed limits on nearly 4,000 streets.
Currently, around 1,400 streets in Glasgow already have this limit, but a recent evaluation of 5,740 streets concluded that an additional 3,868 should have the reduced speed.
Back in 2020, Glasgow City Council approved plans to establish a city-wide 20mph speed limit by 2030, with nearly every road included. Last year, the now-former Scottish Transport Minister, Fiona Hyslop, confirmed that the SNP government plans to implement 20mph limits on most appropriate city roads by 2025.
The implementation of the revised speed limits in Glasgow will occur in phases, with each phase requiring a Speed Limit Order that takes “between 12 and 18 months to complete”. This means it will be some time before the entire city has the reduced limit.
Councillor Angus Millar emphasised that these new restrictions aim to create “safer streets and communities for all of us”. “A citywide 20mph speed limit will bring Glasgow in line with many other UK cities,” he continued. “[It’ll] help to create safer streets and communities for all of us, reducing the risk of accidents and the severity of injuries sustained”.
In other news, the Welsh Parliament faced criticism over its broad 20mph speed limit rules, leading Labour Transport Secretary Ken Skates to acknowledge the need for correction and announced a return to 30mph limits on appropriate roads in September.
The debate on 20mph limits has reached Westminster as well, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak endorsing the Conservative Party's 'Plan for Drivers' last year. This plan aims to provide stronger guidance and local backing to address blanket 20mph speed limits.
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