Motorway speed limit rise to 80mph 'off the agenda'
Sat 22 June 2013
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Government plans to raise the motorway speed limit to 80mph which were launched by former Transport Secretary Philip Hammond appear to have been shelved. The current Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin is reported as saying that the move was "not a priority".
The policy was launched alongside a consultation in 2011 when the Transport Secretary said that the 70mph limit had been "discredited" and a rise to 80mph would boost the economy. The proposals were attacked by safety and environmental campaigners who said the change would lead to a rise in accidents and carbon emissions.
In an interview with The Times, Mr McLoughlin said: "Look, that's not a priority, to be absolutely honest. You would have to do trials in certain areas so it's not something that's a high priority."
The Times reports that the move would have been unpopular with female voters.
In a recent Parliamentary question, Labour Shadow Aviation, Shipping, Roads and London Issues Minister Jim Fitzpatrick asked if the Government was still pressing ahead with “dangerous” 80 miles per hour speed limit proposals. Responding, Conservative Transport Minister Simon Burns said that while the Government had carried out an initial assessment of the policy, it was not a priority.
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