Birmingham council pushes ahead with 30mph speed limit plans despite mixed public opinion
Concerns over road safety in Birmingham are intensifying as the council advances proposals to lower speed limits on most roads from 40 to 30 miles per hour. With recent tragic incidents highlighting the dangers on our streets, the debate on how best to protect the public continues.
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00:00Birmingham City Council is moving ahead with plans to reduce speed limits on
00:04most of the city's roads from 40 to 30 miles per hour. This decision comes after
00:10a year-long consultation that revealed mixed feelings among residents with over
00:15half of the respondents opposing the change. The council however is firm in
00:19its stance that this reduction is necessary to tackle what they describe
00:23as a road safety emergency. The plan is part of a broader effort to encourage
00:29safer driving behaviours and promote active travel such as walking and
00:33cycling. Yeah generally I think it's a good idea I think obviously road safety
00:40would increase but also pollution. Now the 30 to the 20 that they've done in
00:46parts of Wales I think that's backfired and I think something like 40 to 30 in
00:50certain areas something similar will happen. So no I'd say it's a good thing
00:53you know reducing it you know keeping people a bit safe on the road. I don't
00:56drive so I couldn't really have a say I don't really know but as far as I know
01:00it's probably a good thing. Despite the split opinion the council has confirmed
01:04that legal preparations are well underway to enforce these new limits
01:07which are expected to be in place by the end of the year. The proposal does not
01:12include additional physical measures like speed bumps or new cameras though
01:16existing speed enforcement cameras will be adjusted to reflect the reduced
01:20limits. Funding for this product will come from the surplus income generated
01:25by Birmingham's Clean Air Zone ensuring the focus remains on improving transport
01:30safety. Generally yes I am concerned as a motorist as a father and a grandfather
01:36and picking up news items as you've just said about Birmingham and certainly from
01:42parts of Shropshire and Telford where I originally came from within the local
01:46press it seems to be on the rise. Constantly you know you're hearing about
01:50crashes and all of that and you know it's probably a good thing that all of
01:54these measures are put into place especially around Birmingham we've
01:56already got a couple things put in place but yeah that would be ideal I'd say.