Rishi Sunak will announce new plans to block councils from introducing 20mph speed restrictions, reports have stated.
The Prime Minister is expected to announce his “plan for motorists” at the Conservative Party Conference on Monday which will limit the power of local authorities to impose new 20mph zones, restrict the number of hours a day that cars are banned from bus lanes, and scale back low-traffic neighbourhoods.
The changes will also limit the ability of local authorities to impose fines linked to automatic number plate recognition cameras and cameras in box junctions.
A Department for Transport (DfT) spokeswoman said the reports were “speculation”.
Sarah Mitchell, chief executive of charity Cycling UK, said: “When Beeching took an axe to local railways in the 1960s, we were robbed of the freedom to choose how we travel. The Government’s reported Plan for Motorists feels like history repeating itself.
“We need a holistic plan for how people can travel – not a plan that zooms in on one particular mode of transport.
“Better public transport and safer ways for people to cycle and walk are entirely compatible with driving.
“Focusing on one way of travelling is like trying to complete a jigsaw with half the pieces missing.”
IAM RoadSmart director of policy Nicholas Lyes said: “It’s clear 20mph limits have a role to play in improving road safety, but the proliferation of blanket limits without physical changes to road layouts means compliance is often poor.
“For the most part, drivers support targeted 20mph limits in high-risk locations and local authorities are usually best placed to judge the location of these.
“There is an argument, however, to strengthen guidance on how we make these limits more effective.”
Tory MP for South Cambridgeshire Anthony Browne called for more “pragmatism” in policies that affect drivers.
Earlier this month, Wales became the first country in the UK to drop the default speed limit from 30mph to 20mph for restricted roads.
A DfT-commissioned study published in November 2018 found 20mph limits in residential areas were supported by the majority of residents and drivers.
The research stated that cutting limits from 30mph to 20mph resulted in a reduction in average speed of less than 1mph, but vehicles travelling faster before the change generally lowered their speed more than slower vehicles.
The report concluded there was no evidence of a significant drop in the number of crashes and casualties following the introduction of 20mph limits.
Transport for London says the proportion of its Red Route network – the arterial roads that carry almost a third of the capital’s traffic – that is limited to 20mph will increase from 16 per cent to 20 per cent by the end of 2024.
At the same time, it will require borough councils to consider installing more 20mph limits as a condition of receiving TfL funding. Some 52 per cent of local roads are already 20mph.
