People working on Hadfield Road in Cardiff said it makes no sense for it to be 20mph (Image: Ted Peskett)
Furious motorists have branded a “nonsensical” 20mph limit on an industrial road as “ridiculous” with traders even claiming its losing them business. Hadfield Road in Cardiff, Wales, serves a primarily industrial area.
But it was caught up in the sweeping changes across Wales last year that saw many roads’ speed limits reduced to 20mph to reduce accidents and to promote safety. The change has sparked controversy, particularly on roads like Hadfield Road that aren’t in built-up residential zones.
Cardiff Council, following suit with other Welsh local authorities, is set to review these 20mph zones after the Welsh Government laid out a three-stage strategy to potentially revert some roads back to 30mph.
Businesses along Hadfield Road have voiced their frustration, calling the 20mph imposition “ridiculous”. Kevin Gullet, who operates a food van named Fryer Tuck located in Glynstell Close, claims his trade has taken a hit since the speed reduction.
He argues that the slower speeds cause delays for workers trying to grab a quick bite during their breaks, ultimately costing him customers. Kevin explained: “The problem we have got around here [is] the boys come out for lunch or a break… and what happens is we lose business because by the time they get here they can’t eat their food.”For all the latest updates from Cardiff, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter, reports Wales Online.
Kevin Gullet of Fryer Tuck said the 20mph on Hadfield Road has affected his business (Image: Ted Peskett)
The Welsh Government’s announcement on the 20mph speed limit in April will not see a complete reversal of the policy but rather a more targeted approach of reviewing certain roads which local authorities will be responsible for.
Local authorities will have updated guidance they will have to follow when reviewing any proposed changes to speed limits. Cardiff Council said it will carry out its review of 20mph roads across the city in autumn this year.
Council leader Huw Thomas said on S4C politics programme Y Byd yn ei Le that six streets could change in the city.At another food van in Bessemer Close, named Britain’s Finest Burgers, Julie Christopher said she thinks it is “a bit dull” that Hadfield Road was turned into a 20mph road.
Julie, who manages the food van which has been operating at the same location for 24 years, said the speed limit shouldn’t have been reduced “considering there are no schools by here”.
‘It’s nearly causing accidents’
Commenting on what she thinks the road is like now during the day, Julie added: “It is like everyone is avoiding it. It would be a bit better [if it changed back]. It is not so bad for me because I come early in the morning. You can’t drive fast because there is loads of traffic [then].”
Jimmy Clark, a local worker at Hadfield Road, expressed his frustration while waiting for food: “It is ridiculous. School roads or certain side streets [should be 20] but not all of them. Anything else just leave it. It is nuts.”
The controversial 20mph speed limit was introduced across Wales in September 2023, causing confusion and concern among drivers. Councils in Wales were tasked with identifying roads that should be exempt from the new 20mph rule. In Cardiff, these exemptions largely applied to major routes such as Western Avenue, the A470, and sections of Newport Road.
However, two workers from Merthyr Tydfil, Paul Hughes and Bryn Phillips, were baffled by the inconsistent speed limits they encountered on their commute to Hadfield Road.
Bryn Phillipssaid 20mph is right for certain roads, like those near schools, but not for roads like Hadfield Road (Image: Ted Peskett)
Paul Hughes added: “We were worrying on the way down about this 20mph because we don’t know if it is 20, 30, it is all different signs. We are braking, it is nearly causing accidents… The emissions are high because we are going through the gears and everything and it is confusing.”
Bryn Phillips added: “Schools or hospitals, private estates and near parks… yes, it should be 20mph, but not [here]. It is just causing mayhem. I think it is terrible. It is not warranted either.
“There is no need for it. Wherever pedestrians go, like private estates, housing estates or turn off the main route, that is fair enough, or schools… but I think the routes where you are travelling they should be 30 at least.”
Busy roads in Cardiff, including Caerphilly Road and Excalibur Drive, are not exempt from the new 20mph speed limit. Councillor Emma Reid-Jones, a ward member for Lisvane and Thornhill where part of Excalibur Drive is located, criticised the move.
She argued that the road was originally designed as an arterial route and there are no schools nearby.
Discussing the city-wide rollout of the 20mph limit, she claimed that the Welsh Government has “wasted tens of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money”. She suggested: “The money would’ve been better spent on enforcing the 30mph limits across our streets and trusting councils to work with communities, who know their roads best, to review speed limits on a road-by-road basis.”
A petition against the 20mph default speed limit law, signed by a staggering 469,571 people, was the largest ever discussed at the Senedd. The cost of implementing the 20mph speed limit across Wales has reached approximately £33m.
However, a Welsh Government spokesman defended the decision, stating: “We’re committed to working with our partners in local government in the weeks and months ahead and will provide them with the support and resources they need to make changes where it is right to do so.”
A Cardiff Council spokesperson has voiced strong support for the 20mph speed limit initiative, stating: “Cardiff Council firmly supports reducing the speed of vehicles in our local communities to make it easier for people to walk and cycle and to make our city a better and safer place for people to live.”
They added that the council is awaiting new guidelines from the Welsh Government, expected in July: “The council understands that the revised guidance on the 20mph policy is expected to be published by Welsh Government in July.
“In the meantime the council has been and will continue to monitor vehicle speeds in areas where the 20mph policy was implemented in September 2023, which will help to show any changes in vehicle speeds on different roads across the city since new legislation was introduced.”
It continued: “Public feedback on the reduction in speed limits on specific roads and streets through the 20mph policy are also logged and reviewed. All of this information and data will be used as the basis of the 20mph review in Cardiff which will be carried out in autumn this year with reference to the revised Welsh Government guidance document.”
“Whilst we recognise that there may be general comments about the policy of the default 20mph limit we won’t be able to log these comments as these are a matter for the Welsh Government. Any further changes to speed limits will require a traffic regulation order which is subject to a public consultation process.”
