Thurso's 20mph limit to become permanent after Caithness councillors agree new zone
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Caithness councillors have agreed to make Thurso’s temporary lockdown-era 20mph scheme a permanent fixture despite concerns over a varying speed limit throughout the town.
Almost all of Thurso that is under the control of Highland Council is a 20mph zone, but the A9 that goes right through the town switches from 30mph back to 20mph which some say leads to confusion or reluctance to drop speeds.
The introduction of a ‘twenty is plenty’ zone funded by the Spaces for People scheme to boost social distancing appears to have been accepted locally according to Councillor Struan Mackie, but not by everyone.
More from the Caithness Area Committee:
One objector issued a litany of arguments why they were against it, saying that there was no mention of the problem the 20mph zone was trying to resolve, while evidence from other regions of the UK suggests accidents are not reduced and in fact can increase.
They went on to ask whether the lower speed limit might not result in motorists “getting frustrated” in “perfectly safe 30mph zones,” suggesting that more attention will be paid to the speedometer in 20mph zones and less on the road.
The objection comment also claimed that apart from near schools there appears to be little compliance and if the whole of Thurso was restricted to 20mph all that will be achieved is Highland Council creating large numbers of criminal drivers for no apparent safety improvements.
Cllr Mackie said: “I am very glad that our Spaces for People money went to this rather than the sort of interventions that happened in Inverness because I know that they have caused no end of grief for members there.
“This [20mph scheme in Thurso] was pretty widely welcomed at the time and certainly a lot of the feedback I get is that the problem maybe is enforcement, it is not the principle of the 20mph.
“Although the Highland Council roads authority has been very good in blanketing all of the areas of the town it does sit slightly adjacent to what is happening on the trunk road.
“Transport Scotland have effectively outlined 20mph runs throughout a small section of the town and I would like representations made to make a more cohesive 20mph limit if that was extended further.”
