Appeal to cut speed limits on city's roads

SLOWING DOWN TRAFFIC WILL REDUCE COLLISIONS AND SAVE LIVES

- ALEXANDER BROCK

THE UK's first road safety commissioner has backed 20mph limits in Birmingham - and said he would like to see speed limit cuts on more city streets.

Having declared a road safety emergency last summer, the Labour-run city council confirmed towards the end of 2024 that it was exploring the possibility of introducing more 20mph speed limits on city roads.

City transport boss Councillor Majid Mahmood said at the time that slower speed limits on appropriate roads would reduce collisions and save lives.

"For this reason, our Birmingham Transport Plan sets out that 20mph should be the speed limit in residential areas and where footfall is high," he said.

"Other types of roads will remain unaffected.

"Approximately one third of the city's roads are already subject to a 20mph speed limit.

"We would like to expand the number of roads subject to this speed limit where appropriate and are currently exploring opportunities to carry this out."