Edinburgh 20mph limit: Council seeks fuller assessment of impact on bus journey times before future expansion

Edinburgh's transport and environment committee approved a list of 66 streets across the city where a reduction in maximum speed to 20mph will now be taken forward and they added several roads to another list of locations which could be added to Edinburgh's 20mph zones in future.

Lothian Buses has warned that on some routes a 20mph limit will mean bus journeys take longer, particularly at night when the roads are quieter.

Councillors have given the go-ahead for 66 more roads in Ediniburgh to get 20mph speed limits. Picture: Neil Hanna

Transport convener Stephen Jenkinson said: "I''m quite keen for a fuller assessment of any impact on public transport provision by the changes we may make now or in the future.

"We do rely on public transport service providers and I have a concern that changes we might make could have an adverse impact not only on scheduling but on service provision itself, which would have a considerable impact on people going back and forward to work or women and girls travelling safely in the evening, early morning or late at night."

SNP transport spokesman Danny Aston said it felt like the committee was approaching the issue "upside down". He suggested most members of the committee thought 20mph should be the default, with a case having to be made for a higher limit.

He said: "The benefits of a 20mph speed limit are crystal clear - if someone is struck by a vehicle at 20mph their chances of survival increases by 93 per cent."

And he added: "As far as I'm concerned, the single biggest factor in terms of public transport reliability in this city is congestion from private cars."

But Tory transport spokeswoman Marie-Clare Munro highlighted figures from the council's public consultation on the issue, which showed 63 per cent saying there were too many roads with 20mph limits against 29 per cent who said there should be more.

She argued expanding the 20mph zones could be counter-productive. "If we're trying to encourage residents to get the bus but the main bus operator in the city clearly say this will cause bus journeys to be longer this may lead to residents deciding to take their car."

She said the police had made clear that for most of the time they would not be enforcing 20mph speed limits and she called for the expansion of 20mph zones to be paused until effective enforcement measures were found or there was a substantial increase in support from residents.

"The public have clearly stated they are not in favour of this policy. Whether we like it or not, the response to the public consultation indicates that voluntary compliance is likely not to be forthcoming from a significant minority of drivers."