PLANS to introduce an average speed limit on the M4 in Newport have been put on hold until the coronavirus outbreak passes, the Welsh Government has confirmed.

In December, The South East Wales Transport Commission recommended scrapping the current variable speed limit zone, between motorway Junctions 24 (Coldra) and 28 (Tredegar Park), in favour of a fixed average speed camera zone with a 50 miles per hour limit.

But with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on "resources and equipment availability", the Welsh Government has postponed plans for the new average speed cameras.

The new system "will be in place when traffic flows return to normal," a government spokesman confirmed.

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The average speed limit was one of the early recommendations put forward by the commission, set up by first minister Mark Drakeford last year after he abandoned plans to build a 'relief road' motorway – the so-called Black Route – south of Newport to ease congestion on the M4.

The commission, led by Lord Terry Burns, is charged with finding alternative solutions to improving the road and transport network in South East Wales.

It recently completed a two-month public engagement survey online, drawing more than 1,600 comments from residents and commuters on bottlenecks, congestion hotspots, and ways to improve the public transport network.

The commission thanked everyone who contributed, and said "the comments and suggested ideas are now being considered".

Its work continues during the coronavirus outbreak, with Lord Burns and its other members working remotely via virtual meeting tools.