Twenty's Plenty Say Lib Dems

2.20.43pm GMT Thu 27th Mar 2008

Liberal Democrat controlled Stockport Council take a different attitude, and have introduced many 20mph zones in its residential streets.

John Leech, the Liberal Democrat MP for Manchester Withington, and Liberal Democrat Councillor for Burnage, John Cameron, are calling for 20mph zones to be extended to all residential streets that are not main roads, as new evidence shows that 20mph zones save lives.

Manchester City Council has announced a dramatic drop in the number of children killed and seriously injured on Manchester's roads since 2000. The drop has been largely put down to the introduction of 20mph zones near schools.

John Leech MP, who has tabled a parliamentary bill calling for 20mph to be made the default speed limit for residential streets, said:

"It is great news that the number of child casualties on our roads is falling, thanks to 20mph zones near schools. However, children live and play on all residential streets, not just those near schools. If 20mph works to reduce casualties near schools, it would work on all residential side streets. "

John Leech MP has been working with local Lib Dem Councillors to collect petition signatures for streets in South Manchester to be made 20mph

Councillor John Cameron said:

"We have been calling for the 20mph zones to be extended to other streets, such as Barcicroft Road, Overlea Drive, Westcroft Road and Brayside Road. However, the City Council has said that these roads are not near enough to schools to qualify.

"Liberal Democrat controlled Stockport Council take a different attitude, and have introduced many 20mph zones in its residential streets. This has left us with the bizarre situation where the half of Barcicroft Road that is in Manchester is 30mph, while the half that is in Stockport is 20mph.

"It is time that Manchester City Council started to take road safety really seriously and backed our call for 20mph to be made the norm."

ENDS