Switching roads back to 30mph to cost up to £5m

The 20mph default speed in built-up areas was introduced last September

Switching some Welsh roads back from 20 to 30mph will cost between £3m and £5m, the politician in charge has said.

Transport Secretary Ken Skates said it was a "fraction" of the £32m spent introducing the 20mph law seven months ago.

Mr Skates said his department will find the money. Councils will not foot the bill.

On Tuesday, he invited people to contact their local councils if they want to change speed limits, saying roads would start the process of reverting to 30mph in September.

He said the speed limit should be "truly targeted" to protect people, but Conservatives criticised him for not scrapping the law which reduced the default speed limit to 20mph in built-up areas.

Answering questions in the Senedd on Wednesday, Mr Skates said most of the cost would go on labour.

“We have carried out early estimates of that,” he said.

“We believe it will be a fraction of the policy implementation costs.

“So between £3m and £5m is what we estimate.

“It won’t go on the shoulders of local authorities – we will find that money.”

Interviewed on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast earlier, Mr Skates failed to back the man commissioned by his predecessor to lead a review of the 20mph policy.

Lee Waters, who was a deputy minister responsible for transport until March, had asked Phil Jones to lead a review of the policy's implementation.

Mr Jones is the transport consultant who originally told the Welsh government how to implement the new speed default limit.

Asked if he was the right person to lead it, he said: "Too often we talk about politicians and people who are making decisions rather than the policy itself.

"And I don't want to be drawn in on whether somebody was the right person to lead a review."

"What's crucial is that that review reports as soon as possible".