20mph in Hay

 There's been some discussion in the Senedd recently about reducing speed limits across Wales to 20mph.  One of the reasons this was being considered was to reduce the severity of road accidents - a person who has been hit by a car is far more likely to survive, or at least have less severe injuries, if the car is travelling at 20mph rather than 30mph, for instance.

 There have been several trial schemes across Wales, and the results were positive enough for the general roll out of the scheme to be agreed.  There have been several petitions opposing the scheme, and the Welsh Conservatives are against it. They say it will cost the Welsh economy around 4.5 billion pounds (but this does not take into account the savings that will be made).

 One of the objections is the cost of changing the road signs and repainting road markings, but Mark Drakeford at the Senedd pointed out that the savings to the NHS far outweigh the costs, as it will save the NHS 92 million pounds a year.

The restrictions are not for every road right across Wales, of course - just the ones that have been 30mph previously, in built up areas with a lot of pedestrian activity.  Hay is one of those areas, and the new speed restrictions will come into force on midnight of Sunday September 17th.