Decision day on 20mph law
MSPs are set to vote on a bid to reduce the default speed limit in Scotland's towns and villages to 20 mph
Green MSP Mark Ruskell is facing an uphill battle to save his Safer Streets Bill after the Parliament’s Rural and Connectivity committee refused to give it their support.
While acknowleding a 20mph speed limit can improve health, liveability and increase active travel rates the committee decided existing powers for local councils to lower limits on a case-by-case basis were suffiicient.
Making a final pitch for support Mark Ruskell said: Colleagues voting against this Bill cannot ignore the simple fact that it will save lives.
"This truth has been acknowledged by the Welsh Government, who are pursuing a course of action almost identical to that proposed in my Bill and the Scottish Government’s refusal to get on board is baffling. The current system, where councils create their own 20 zones is both slow and expensive.
"The Bill has the backing of local authorities, children’s charities and environmental organisations but the Scottish Government seem to consider them secondary to the motoring lobby. The SNP have declared a climate emergency and claim to be a party of progress but if they team up with the Tories to block this Bill it will be hard to take those statements seriously.