First Monitor of 20mph Finds No Difference in Air Quality
The case for the Welsh 20 miles per hour speed limit has neither been strong nor a vote winner. Many Welsh are not struck with fear and loathing at the idea of metal death traps hurtling down the country roads at 30mph rather than 20mph. Nor were they convinced that the scheme would more efficiently protect Wales’ green and pleasant lands from the pollution caused by cars pumping fumes into the air. Now the first monitor of scheme has found there is no difference in air quality…
Air quality sensors were deployed in four locations both inside and out of the 20mph zones to detect levels of deathly nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter. It found that there was little difference in particulate matter, and nitrogen dioxide was actually higher in the 20mph zones than outside them. At 50% of Welsh locations, air quality worsened as a result of 20mph zones…
Natasha Asghar MS, Shadow Transport Minister, said:
“This blows a huge hole in the argument that lower speed limits will improve air quality. With two locations helping air quality and two hindering air quality, I don’t believe that the data can accurately ascertain whether lower speed limits are making a difference to overall air quality.”
Time to pump the brakes on this one…
