CALLS for a public vote on plans for more 20mph speed limits across Wales have reached a dead end, after a Senedd committee closed down a petition.
More than 1,600 people had supported the bid, which called on ministers to let the public decide whether the nation's default limit should be lowered from 30mph.
Earlier this year, the Senedd voted in favour of the 20mph plans, which will give councils powers to bring in the new limit on many residential roads, should they see fit.
The plans have sparked controversy, however, particularly among people living in areas - including parts of Gwent - where pilot schemes caused confusion for some drivers.
The petition, started by Mark Baker, urged the Senedd to "hold a public poll" on the 20mph limit "before it comes into force".
He alleged there was "no proven evidence that it will save lives or reduce pollution" and claimed the government's plans were based on "theory and hearsay".
"Motorists are always being targeted and it’s about time pedestrians are hit with some accountability," he said, adding that more "stop-start" driving would "ultimately build up emissions in a concentrated area".
But deputy minister Lee Waters disputed these allegations. He said research showed the risk of being killed "is almost five times higher in collisions between a car and a pedestrian at 31mph compared to the same type of collisions at 18.6mph".
Mr Waters said there was "a strong evidence base that 20mph will have no negative impacts on air quality" and the government had been advised the lower limit could "reduce pollution where there is smoother driving behaviour".
He also said the new legislation - due to come into force next September - was about giving councils powers to cut speeds, rather than an automatic reduction from 30mph to 20mph on every road in Wales.
Despite the government's insistence the lower limit could lead to safer roads, there has been some scepticism among drivers who were left unimpressed when the schemes were tested in Gwent.
In Abergavenny, critics called the 20mph limit "unworkable" when it was trialled there, while on Severnside some residents said it was "crazy" to slash the limit on the Caldicot bypass.
Mr Waters acknowledged there was some resistance to the 20mph plans.
"As with any cultural change we know it takes time to win hearts and minds and inevitably we will face some challenge, but I am confident that if we all work together we can make the necessary changes that will benefit us now and in the future," he said.
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