Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:23 pm on 17 September 2019.
Well, Llywydd, we will certainly monitor the position very closely. The evidence is that 50 mph zones, when properly preserved, prevent queues rather than add to them. A section of the A470 between Upper Boat and Bridge Street interchanges is an area where we know that the figures demonstrate that there is an urgent and immediate need to bring about improvements in air quality. We will do more over this autumn to put up information that explains to people why they are being asked to observe that 50 mph speed limit and to explain to them that they are being asked to do it because the scientific evidence demonstrates that they will be making a contribution to improving air quality for those communities that they are driving through.
I think we've always been able to make an appeal to people in Wales to understand that collective effort has an impact on the lives of other people. We haven't explained that well enough and persistently enough to people so far. I am optimistic that when we do that, we will see people observe that 50 mph speed limit and that it will both improve air quality and reduce queuing and do good in the lives of people who, today, suffer the impact of the actions that other people take in travelling through those communities.