Drivers baffled as 20mph signs are removed before new speed limit …

Council staff have begun removing 20mph road markings and signs prior to next month’s launch of the new default speed limit in Wales, NorthWalesLive has reported ^[1]. The move has puzzled some motorists who have labelled it as a “waste of taxpayers’ money”.

The new rule implemented by the Welsh Government ^[2] will come into effect on September 17 and is claimed to have a number of benefits including a reduction in road collisions and serious injury as well as more people making the decision to walk and cycle. When the Senedd passed The Restricted Roads (20mph Speed Limit) (Wales) Order it made Wales one of the first countries in the world – and the first in the UK – to have 20mph as the default on roads routinely used by motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists.

Signs that warn of the entry and exit at 20mph zones must be removed by September 17. The Welsh Government has said these will no longer be needed in Wales once 20mph speeds become the default on most restricted roads. As for 20mph road marking and repeater signs, and 20mphs in street-lit areas, these will become illegal from September 17.

Repeater signs are slightly smaller than normal speed limit signs and are normally attached to lamp posts, other road signposts, or their own small posts. Local authorities have been given longer to remove these and have until September 17, 2028. While councils therefore have a “five-year-period of grace” to remove 20mph road markings and repeater signs some local authorities have begun already.

They include Flintshire ^[4] Council, which posted a tweet in an attempt to head off potential confusion. It said: “The removal of these road markings doesn’t mean 20mph speed restrictions have been removed.” The council said street lights will effectively perform the same job as previously undertaken by 20mph road markings and repeater signs. The council tweeted: “Streetlights along the length of road between the signs will be the reminder that you are in a 20mph area.”

Round 20mph repeater signs are being removed because specific roads are no longer being targeted. The new 20mph legislation will apply to all restricted roads though some exceptions are still being consulted on. Old 30mph signs are also being taken down as, in most cases, they will no longer apply.

Thousands of 30mph zones are set to become 20mph zones, under the new Restricted Roads (20mph Speed Limit) (Wales) Order 2022 (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)

Flintshire Council said it had begun removal work in Buckley and surrounding villages where a 20mph pilot scheme has been running for 18 months. A spokesman said: “Flintshire County Council is removing all speed roundel carriageway markings on the county’s restricted roads. This includes existing 30mph gateway markings, 20mph gateway markings, and 20mph repeater markings that were implemented in Buckley as part of the phase one settlement scheme.

“It is a requirement of the change in legislation that the above-mentioned markings are removed, which will ensure that all restricted roads are signed and marked to an enforceable standard. All costs associated with the works are being funded by Welsh Government.”

Everything you need to know about the new road signs coming to Wales

As well as forcing the need to remove some road signs 20mph legislation will require new ones to be created and installed. These will be as follows:

Road safety sign: This new sign will be used in addition to existing signs warning of children going to or from school or a playground or of road humps ahead. These will have a slogan and/or a picture.
Road humps sign: A new sign warning of a traffic-calmed area to accompany an area of road humps.
Traffic-calmed area sign: A new sign warning of the end of a traffic-calmed area. These will be used in place of signs that currently warn of the exit from a 20mph zone.
Speed camera sign: These will warn of a speed camera ahead and remind drivers of the new 20mph speed limit. As corresponding 30mph signs will no longer apply on most restricted roads in Wales they must be removed by September 17, 2023.
Temporary sign: New signs will be installed to indicate the start of a new 20mph speed limit. These signs will be removed 12 months after installation.

Updated estimates of the cost of replacing thousands of speed signs in Wales have been released. These show that, at 2022 prices, the cost is £21.9m, though a more realistic estimate is £26.7m.

The Welsh Government has long argued that 20mph speed limits in towns and villages will improve road safety. More recently it said lower speeds will “encourage a shift to more active forms of travel”.

However some councils are using exemptions criteria to increase speed limits on some roads – in one case from 20mph to 50mph. Critics have disputed the road safety claims and have voiced concerns over the potential damage to tourism and the wider economy.

Some people have also questioned why so many road signs and markings are being taken down – especially in 20mph pilot areas where they have been in place only for 18 months. “What a total waste of taxpayers’ money,” tweeted an astonished Buckley man, aiming his ire at Flintshire Council. “You cannot fix the potholes correctly – maybe concentrate on getting that right first.”

References

^{^} NorthWalesLive has reported (www.dailypost.co.uk)
^{^} Welsh Government (www.walesonline.co.uk)
^{^} We asked people in Wales if they supported the 20mph default speed limit and the results are in (www.walesonline.co.uk)
^{^} Flintshire (www.walesonline.co.uk)