20mph zones rollout is putting constituents before politics - Stephen Kerr MSP

One way to improve road safety is to reduce the speed of vehicles in places where the street is also used by pedestrians, especially in spots where children, the elderly and disabled people are frequently nearby.

The road safety charity, Brake, states that one in three fatal road crashes can be attributed to excess speed, and that an average speed reduction of 1mph reduces crash frequency by five per cent.

Seeing this statistic, it is clear why so many people in Falkirk support the rollout of 20mph zones.

There is also the argument of community ownership. If a road goes through the heart of a town or village, such as Airth, road users should respect the wishes of the community who live there.

A survey which was conducted in 2021 showed that more than 85 per cent of people who live in Airth, and replied to the survey, backed proposals to reduce the speed limit on the main street to 20mph.

If we support the idea that democracy starts at the local level, then we should be respecting the wishes of the people of Airth and support their calls to introduce a 20mph speed limit on the main street.

This is true community empowerment.

Combining the improvement of road safety and enhancement of community empowerment, I am delighted that my Conservative colleagues on Falkirk Council managed to secure £500,000 to help roll out 20mph zones.

Rather than bring national political divisions into Falkirk Council, the Falkirk Conservatives want to work in collaboration with every political party to improve the lives of the people of Falkirk.

This does not mean there will be agreement on everything. But it does mean seeking common ground and working in the best interests of our constituents.

The Falkirk Conservatives securing the funding for the rollout of 20mph zones shows what can happen when the interests of constituents are put first, and not party politics.