A new campaign in Scotland aims to scrap proposed speed limit cuts for cars while raising limits for HGVs, sparking heated debate.
Scotland: A fresh campaign is stirring up some serious chatter. It’s all about getting rid of plans to lower speed limits for cars while bumping them up for HGVs. Sounds a bit wild, right?
The Scottish Conservatives are behind this petition, reacting to Transport Scotland’s idea to cut the national speed limit to 50mph. This proposal has been floating around since last November, and they’re still gathering opinions until March 2025.
If this goes through, single carriageway roads would see their speed limit drop from 60mph to 50mph. Meanwhile, HGVs would get a boost, going from 40mph to 50mph on single carriageways and from 50mph to 60mph on dual carriageways. Quite the shake-up!
Fiona Hyslop, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, emphasized that road safety is super important. She mentioned that even one death on the roads is too many. The proposed changes are seen as a step towards reducing accidents, and she’s encouraging everyone to weigh in on the consultation.
But the Scottish Conservatives are pushing back hard, calling it a “war on motorists.” Their campaign, “SAY NO to 50mph national speed limits,” kicked off last week and is gaining traction among drivers.
They argue that for years, the SNP has dropped the ball on improving Scotland’s roads. Roads like the A9 and A96 have become infamous for accidents, and instead of fixing them, they want to impose more restrictions on drivers.
Some folks on social media are really fired up about this. One person called it “possibly the stupidest of the many stupid ideas” from the SNP. Others think raising the HGV limit makes sense, as it could help traffic flow better.
Scottish Conservative shadow transport secretary Sue Webber MSP didn’t hold back either. She criticized the SNP for neglecting the roads and putting lives at risk. She’s urging Scots to join the campaign against the 50mph limit and push for better road investments instead.
