Shropshire Council is being urged to introduce 20mph limits across all residential areas, rather than just outside schools.
The call comes from Professor John Whitelegg, visiting Professor of Sustainable Transport at Liverpool John Moores University, in a news report in the Shropshire Star.
The report says the council is considering introducing 20mph speed limits near some schools across Shropshire.
However, talking to the Shropshire Star, Professor John Whitelegg said: “Introducing 20mph restrictions outside schools is worse than useless”
“Children spend 15% of their time at schools and 85% of their time has nothing to do with schools.
“Introducing 20mph speed limits outside schools is saying to children ‘we care about you 15% of the time, but couldn’t give a damn 85% of the time.”
Prof Whitelegg goes on to describe reducing 30mph limits to 20mph in all residential areas as “the single most important move that any council could make for public health.
He added: “I have tried to explain all this to Shropshire Council several times but there seems to be a lack of ability to think about these things.”
We asked Shropshire Council for a comment but to date have not received a reply. If we do, we will add it to this news report.
20’s Plenty have always argued that 20mph just outside schools is a failed policy. See our briefing from over a decade ago. https://www.20splenty.org/how_school_safety_zones_are_not_a_priority
Rod King, Lymm
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