Thousands sign West Lothian 20mph petition

Almost 5,000 signed a petition against the plan, which Lorenzo Franchitti presented to councillors on West Lothian Council’s Executive.

Speaking to the Executive last week, Mr Franchitti criticised the introduction of such widespread and detrimental infrastructure changes on the basis of such a small response to the council consultation.

Mr Franchitti said the scheme “defied belief” and had been met with a torrent of anger, with the  new speed reduction zones branded “shambolic” and “a disaster”,

He said it has hit key workers such as healthcare staff as well as  the self employed and also hampered emergency services and online delivery drivers because of the added congestion.

 He added there was national evidence that  the zones could actually contribute to danger on the roads by making drivers and pedestrians complacent, and adding to the frustration caused among drivers and,  more overtaking.

By time he sat before councillors on Tuesday morning Mr Franchitti’s online petition had garnered 4,881 signatures and been shared 3,500 times.

He described the speed limits imposed as part of a government funded £600,000 programme introduced during lockdown as a “slap in the face for local residents and businesses” already struggling with the pandemic.

“Any changes to roads should be approached on a case by case basis with the appropriate methodology behind them,” he added.

Mr Franchitti said the money should have been spent on improving infrastructure – by building cyclepaths or improving pedestrian routes rather than to the detriment of  the road network. 

Mr Franchitti  faced some detailed and intense questioning from across the chamber about his petition but calmly stuck to his core criticism that widespread changes to the roads network had been introduced, and that “such a decision would have taken without any type of consultation that would have appropriate to the scale of the scheme  which has been forced on residents and businesses”.

The programme has also been widely criticised by local Tory councillors and the SNP for the way the speed limits were introduced, glaring anomalies such as new signs saying 20 alongside road markings reading 30, and the uncertainty of the project’s future.

 In his address to the Executive Mr Franchitti also touched on  requests already made  by  the Tories and SNP that a proper survey should be carried out   rather than blanket changes made. 

“It’s confusing to say the least that the council already had a speed limit review strategy, still on its website, which appeared a more appropriate and methodical way to ensure that if   limits that had been set were set incorrectly it allowed for the appropriate procedure to be followed to make changes,” said Mr Franchitti. 

Chairing the meeting, Council leader Councillor Lawrence Fitzpatrick said the petition would be referred to the Environment Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel before coming back to Executive for a decision.