Edinburgh: civilised town

Followers of this blog may recall my dispatch from Scotland's wonderful capital city posted in December of last year. Now I hear they have enforced a 20 MPH speed limit throughout the city. Naturally there have been complaints from the motoring organisations and some city traders: from the former that it is unnecessary and contrary to civil liberties; from the latter that business may be adversely affected. However the city fathers have listened to wiser council, namely that the measure will have a significant effect on the severity of injuries suffered by pedestrians in collision with motor vehicles. Farsighted as they clearly are, they have perhaps predicted the generally calmer and safer atmosphere that will prevail once the new speed limit comes into effect.


In my city of Cardiff 20 MPH limits have recently been introduced in certain areas, notably schools and other areas where there is high pedestrian footfall. But travelling these streets on an almost daily basis as I do has illustrated a problem: if the speed limit is not enforced rigorously from the outset people will ignore it. Which is what is happening in my neighbourhood. Some good folks (I flatter myself to count myself among them, in this context at least) carefully observe the limit. But more than 50% of drivers do not and still roil down the streets at their customary 35-40 which is the speed many people adopt in a 30 MPH zone.


Citizens need a helping hand to come to terms with changes in the law. For the first few months then, people should receive a simple warning if they are not observing the limit. But after this honeymoon period they should bust everyone who breaks it. The best way of doing this is of course to use speed cameras, again the source of outrage to some motorists who object to a "Big Brother" society that attempts to tell them how to live- this despite the improvement in injury and death statistics everywhere they have been introduced. Jeremy Clarkson and his benighted supporters may not like them but the fact is, speed cameras save lives.


Pelagius says: Let's have a 20 MPH throughout the inner city of Cardiff- and let's enforce it!