Non – profit organisation ‘20’s Plenty’ are calling for Traffic Regulation orders , to change signage and speed limits in York, North Yorkshire to 20 miles per hour.
The campaign group believes that in city, there is little to be gained by travelling at 30 mph.
They suggest that the change in speed limit will reduce collisions and encourage more people to use public transport, to walk or cycle in the city.
A labour councillor was left seriously injured in a road accident in 1992. Thirty one years later, 54 year old Anna Semlyen is a National Campaign manager for ‘20’s Plenty’ .
She said : ‘People make mistakes, you just don’t want those mistakes to be fatal or tragic for people’s life stories. I can no longer run. I’m a survivor.’
‘We can put a safe system in where we don’t tolerate serious injuries and deaths.’
The decision to change speed limits currently lies with local authorities.
Revised in 2012 after public consultation in 2012, the Department for Transport Circular encourages authorities to ‘introduce 20 mph zones or limits into streets which are primarily residential in nature; and into town or city streets where pedestrian and cyclist movements are high, ‘
Anna Semlyen said :
‘I think people don’t understand all the benefits, they think it’s going to be bad for them personally when actually the traffic reduction effects mean that congestion is reduced and it’s half the noise.’
Speaking last night at an online meeting, she added : ‘The danger of not reducing the current speed limit is that York will fall behind economically in terms of being attractive to visitors. 20mph is not an optional extra. It’s essential.’
York Labour Councillor Peter Kilbane will be deciding the future of York Gateway scheme, which focuses on 20mph limits being implemented by York station, this Thursday at 3pm.