Fire boss says 20mph speed limit in Wales will 'likely' affect response times to call-outs

The new law is due to come into effect on 17 September

A Welsh fire chief has warned reducing the speed limit to 20mph is "likely to result in a slight delay in response times to incidents."

It follows earlier reports from South Wales Police's assistant chief constable who rowed back on claims the new default speed limit would impact blue light services.

The new legislation comes into force across Wales on 17 September.

Paul Jenkinson, Head of Response for North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Reducing the speed to 20mph is likely to result in a slight delay in response times to incidents.

"However, given the exemption from the speed limits in law fire appliances can go above the speed limit.”

The Welsh Government says the new law will help save lives

A leaked letter from Assistant Chief Constable Mark Travis to other blue light services in Wales said the new speed limit will "have an impact" on how police forces and emergency services "carry out [their] core business."

ACC Travis said: "We recognise that this will influence speeds at which our responders are able to travel to emergency calls and may have an impact on how we respond or deploy our staff to incidents."

However, he later told BBC Radio Wales that following trials and looking at data from other European countries, they have seen "no discernible difference in the way in which we can respond."

"The most important thing here is the overall safety of the public and many tragic accidents happen across the UK as a consequence of the emergency service vehicles being involved in collisions.

"We want to make sure are staff are well trained, well briefed and keep the public safe. And that was the purpose of this correspondence - that we’re prepared for the changes in September", he added.

The First Minister has previously said he is "very pleased" the government is able to introduce the law

The Welsh Conservatives say they fear that "lives will be lost" if emergency response times are impacted, but the Welsh Government refuted the claims saying changing the limit on restricted roads in Wales "does not impact on the legislation that allows police, fire and ambulance services to exceed speed limits in the course of emergency response duties."

The new speed limit comes into effect next month on all roads that are currently 30mph, however councils will be able to impose exemptions.

Police drivers with a reduced level of training and other emergency vehicles can only drive to a maximum speed of 20mph above the speed limit.

In the email obtained by the Welsh Conservatives, South Wales Police Assistant Chief Constable Mark Travis said the new speed limit "will have an impact on how we within the four Welsh police forces and you as emergency services, carry out your core business."

The email continued: "We recognise that this will influence speeds at which our responders are able to travel to emergency calls and may have an impact on how we respond or deploy our staff to incidents."

However he later said: "Sometimes actually the road being slower makes it easier for service vehicles to make progress - it’s easier to pass a slower vehicle, than a faster vehicle. So, from our point of view at the moment, we don’t see a discernible difference. 

“But of course every new trial will be new information which we will monitor and review our response times to make sure that we are able to serve the public in the way they expect.”

Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Transport, Natasha Asghar MS, said: "Labour claim that this policy is to save lives. But with the Police admitting it will impact response times and no work carried out to measure the affect on blue light services – contrary to saving lives, I fear that lives will actually be lost."

Earlier this month, police officers stopped vehicles exceeding 20mph

Ms Ashgar said that the policy was "ill thought out" and it needs to be "put on hold."   

Responding to a Freedom of Information request (FOI) from the Welsh Conservatives, the Welsh Government said that police, fire and ambulance services are allowed to exceed speed limits in the course of their emergency response duties.

It added that this would not change with the default speed limit change to 20mph.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "Changing the default speed limit on restricted roads in Wales to 20mph does not impact on the legislation that allows police, fire and ambulance services to exceed speed limits in the course of emergency response duties."

What Wales' emergency services had to say

Emergency services across Wales have said that they are permitted to exceed the posted speed limit up to 20mph when responding to emergencies.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said crews are allowed to exceed the posted speed limit up to 20mph where it is "safe and reasonable to do so."

"Our crews regularly see the devastating impacts that road traffic collisions can have, including in built up areas where people and vehicles mix closely."

A 20mph speed limit is being imposed on some roads across Wales next month

The ambulance service has said it welcomes any initiative that has the potential to reduce death, injury or serious harm on roads across Wales.

It added that its crews are permitted to do the same and are "mindful of the safety of crews and other road users and still instruct safe limits."

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