News

New 20mph speed limit: Safety improvement or economic setback?

Published

3 years ago

August 27, 2023

STARTING September 17, the Welsh Government’s broad 20-mph speed restriction will replace the current 30-mph norm in urban areas. Designed to boost road safety, the decision is a double-edged sword, balancing between reduced casualties and potentially significant financial and operational ramifications.

Professor Stuart Cole, CBE, Emeritus Professor of Transport Economics and Policy, University of South Wales, has explained his several concerns, set out below, regards the new legislation.

Operational Challenges & Financial Strains

Bread’s morning delivery offers a window into potential hiccups. Timed for 30-mph speeds, reduced speed limits can lower van productivity, possibly raising prices for end consumers. Urban bus passengers, too, are bracing for longer commutes. The need for extra vehicles, more driver shifts, and anticipated increased hourly rates for drivers paint a challenging financial picture for bus companies.

The modern bus, optimized for speeds of 30-mph or 40-mph, now faces a disruptive 20-mph mandate. This shift could necessitate overriding automatic gearing systems, potentially undermining safety objectives and leading to higher maintenance expenses.

A Conservative Perspective

In the backdrop of these insights, Natasha Asghar MS, the Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Transport, voiced her concerns. She remarked, “The observations by Professor Stuart Cole underscore a significant oversight by the Labour Government.“

“For over a year, I’ve highlighted potential drawbacks — from slower emergency response times to increased delivery durations, and even the likelihood of bus route adjustments. As we near this policy’s roll-out, these unforeseen consequences, combined with a £4.5 billion expenditure by Labour, paints a worrying picture for the Welsh economy,” Natasha expressed.

Seeking Solutions

The 20-mph limit aims to tilt preference scales from cars to buses. To truly succeed, bus priority schemes on congested routes, like Cardiff’s Castle street and Swansea’s Kingsway, could be vital. But with electric buses demanding almost triple the price of conventional ones, financial challenges loom large.

In this scenario, bus companies, looking at a requisite profit margin of 10% on local tenders, are hesitant to invest significantly, especially with the fiscal support measures like the Welsh Government’s Bus Transition Fund set to end by March 2024.

Conclusion: Striking A Balance

With potential bus service reductions, especially in rural Wales, stagnant passenger numbers, and escalating costs, the bus sector faces a challenging trifecta.

While the Welsh Government’s intentions echo safety and environmental concerns, perhaps a staggered approach could have been more judicious. Considering a rollout in high-casualty zones, introducing supportive bus priority measures, and delaying the scheme’s onset until the bus industry finds firmer financial footing might have catered to all stakeholders more effectively.

Crime

Carpenter banned after drug-driving in camper van

Published

3 minutes ago

June 24, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

Pembroke Dock man was five times over the cannabis limit

A PEMBROKESHIRE carpenter has been banned from driving after being caught behind the wheel of his camper van while five times over the drug-drive limit.

James Toulouse, 35, was stopped by police shortly before midnight on December 20, 2025, as he drove his white Mercedes Vito along Buttermilk Lane in Pembroke.

“There was a strong smell of cannabis coming from the vehicle and the driver, who was James Toulouse, appeared glazed, as his eyes were red and bleary,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court.

A roadside drug swipe proved positive. Further tests showed Toulouse had 11mcg of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol in his system. The legal limit is 2mcg.

The court heard this was Toulouse’s second drug-driving offence in ten years.

Toulouse, of Clarence Street, Pembroke Dock, pleaded guilty to drug-driving.

He was represented by solicitor Michael Kelleher, who said the defendant works as a carpenter.

“Obviously it’s not going to be easy for him to carry on with his work, but he’s fully intending to do so,” he said.

Toulouse was disqualified from driving for 36 months. He was fined £350 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £140 surcharge.

Crime

Pembroke motorist fined after missing drug assessment

Published

5 minutes ago

June 24, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

A 27-year-old man told magistrates the appointment had “completely gone out of my mind”

A PEMBROKE motorist has been fined after failing to attend an initial drug assessment following a positive test for a class A drug.

Bradley Bostock, 27, was told to attend the assessment centre in Haverfordwest on December 16, 2025, but failed to do so.

His non-attendance led to his appearance before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Jun 23), where he pleaded guilty.

“In all honesty, it completely went out of my mind,” Bostock told the bench.

“I didn’t get out of the cell until three o’clock in the morning, and there was so much going on, I simply forgot. But I’m more than willing to go.”

Bostock, of Corston Cottages, Axton Hill, Pembroke, was fined £80 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £32 surcharge.

Crime

Milford man threatened to smash parents’ windows, court hears

Published

7 minutes ago

June 24, 2026

Court Reporter

A MILFORD HAVEN man who repeatedly asked his parents for alcohol and money has admitted threatening to damage their home.

Christopher Sizer, 38, threatened to smash windows and kick in doors at his parents’ property in Shakespeare Avenue, Milford Haven, on March 3.

Haverfordwest magistrates heard there had been long-standing issues between Sizer and his parents.

“There have been long-standing issues between the defendant and his parents, and he’s constantly asking them for money,” said Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan.

“If they don’t give it, then he makes threats. But this is impacting them significantly. It just can’t go on.”

Ms Vaughan said Sizer had arrived at the property initially asking for alcohol.

“He had friends with him and then asked them for pizza, but this was a drain on their finances,” she said.

“It was at this point that he threatened to damage their property with a hammer that was readily available, and naturally they were concerned about that.”

The court was told Sizer’s mother had provided a victim impact statement, saying she and her husband could no longer cope with his behaviour.

“If we don’t give him what he wants, he threatens to kill himself, and if we have a night away he’ll phone me constantly, asking for money,” she said.

“My husband has had to get a night job to get extra money and we’ve also had to take out a loan. We can’t cope with his behaviour any more.”

Sizer, of Precelly Place, Milford Haven, pleaded guilty to making threats to damage or destroy property.

Magistrates requested a pre-sentence report from the probation service before sentencing and adjourned the case until July 14.

Sizer was released on conditional bail. He must not enter his parents’ property in Shakespeare Avenue, must not enter the Ty Hotel in Milford Haven, and must not contact his parents by any means, either directly or indirectly.