When it comes to the Welsh Labour Party, dogma has triumphed over common sense. The practical interests of the public and businesses mean little as they are sacrificed on the altar of radical ideology by Left-wing, virtue-signalling politicians.
That is the only conclusion that can be drawn from the decision by the devolved government in Cardiff, led by Mark Drakeford, to press ahead with the introduction of a highly controversial 20mph speed limit across Wales.
From tomorrow the new lower limit will apply on most roads in built-up and residential areas. It is a change that has provoked fierce opposition and dismay. But the government here, with typical disdain for democracy, has refused to back down.
As a result, Wales will become one of the first countries in the world to adopt such a drastic anti-motorist measure. In effect, my nation is being used as a testing ground for an eccentric liberal experiment. Will it be justified in terms of lives saved, pollution reduced or worthwhile costs, I have my doubts.
The bill for this wilfully manufactured chaos is already huge. The immediate costs of implementing the new law could be as much as £40million, based on all the work needed in changing signs, informing the public, and training the police.
ANDREW RT DAVIES (pictured): When it comes to the Welsh Labour Party, dogma has triumphed over common sense. The practical interests of the public and businesses mean little as they are sacrificed on the altar of radical ideology by Left-wing, virtue-signalling politicians
But that figure is dwarfed by the potential £9billion that could be lost to the Welsh economy over the next 30 years – as revealed in the government’s own analysis – as commerce is undermined by lengthened journey times, causing delays that hit commuters in particular.
READ MORE: Mark Drakeford’s ‘ULEZ-style’ war on motorists sparks furious backlash: Locals claim ‘stupid’ plan to impose blanket 20mph speed limit across Wales will hurt businesses amid fears of £9billion hit to economy
The key justification for this move is to improve road safety and lower the number of casualties from traffic accidents. According to the 20mph advocates, the lower a car’s speed, the better the chances of survival for a pedestrian who has been hit. It seems straightforward but, perversely, the new law could increase risks in a host of different ways.
The new limit could lead to more frustration, tail-gating and overtaking. Similarly, the police have warned that response times by emergency vehicles might be reduced. And the removal of now redundant 20mph signs outside schools could actually lead to more speeding in such areas.
On a deeper level, the sheer scale of this blanket change will undermine the integrity of the legal system because so many motorists will be caught out. A nation that criminalises a large portion of its own population through some arbitrary new policy is helping to destroy respect for the law.
But the Welsh Labour government does not care. Its members, headed by Mr Drakeford and deputy minister for climate change Lee Waters who, as a cycling evangelist, is the real architect of this madness, are determined to wage war on the motorist.
In February, Mr Drakeford announced a still more eccentric idea: a moratorium on new road building, scrapping almost all major projects, and denying much-needed links to communities in remote areas of Wales.
Only Sadiq Khan can match his contempt for motorists. The London mayor’s introduction of the Ultra Low Emission Zone throughout the capital has outraged millions thanks to the crippling costs it has imposed on businesses and drivers.
That is the only conclusion that can be drawn from the decision by the devolved government in Cardiff, led by Mark Drakeford, to press ahead with the introduction of a highly controversial 20mph speed limit across Wales
Mr Drakeford’s 20mph policy will have the same effect. But the Ulez charges apply only to a minority of drivers who own non-compliant cars, whereas a lower speed limit catches everyone in its embrace.
Supporters of the change argue that motorists should get out of their cars and use public transport. But that is unfeasible in many areas and for many road users, since – thanks to the failings of the Cardiff government – public transport is dismal in much of Wales.
The speed limit farce shows how wedded Welsh Labour is to doctrinaire state bullying – a tendency on ugly display throughout Covid when Mr Drakeford revelled in newly acquired authoritarian powers to curtail freedoms.
The population of Wales was largely obliging then, but will be less willing to submit to the lunacy of a speed limit reduction as the fines mount on their doormats.
This will backfire – and Welsh Labour will pay the price.
Andrew RT Davies is Leader of the Conservatives in the Welsh Parliament