THE GUARDIAN: Transport secretary to announce proposed increase in speed limit from 70mph to 80mph at Tory conference
The government plans to raise the speed limit to 80mph from 70mph in a victory for the transport secretary, Philip Hammond.
Hammond said on Thursday he will launch a consultation later this year with a view to introducing the new limit in 2013.
The new policy is part of a determined bid to shift the government on to the side of the motorists after successive governments appeared keen to discourage driving.
Hammond is expected to couple the increase with an expansion of 20mph limits in many urban areas.
But the motorway proposal is expected to receive stiff opposition from road safety campaigners and environmentalists who point out that cars are far less fuel efficient at the higher speed.
Hammond said: "Britain's roads should be the arteries of a healthy economy and cars are a vital lifeline for many." he blamed Labour's "shortsighted and misguided war on the motorist" for penalising drivers.
"This government has already scrapped the M4 bus lane, cut central government funding for money-making speed cameras and announced new measures to crack down on boy racers and reckless drivers while standing up for the decent majority," he said.
"Now it is time to put Britain back in the fast lane of global economies and look again at the motorway speed limit which is nearly 50 years old, and out of date thanks to huge advances in safety and motoring technology.
"Increasing the motorway speed limit to 80mph would generate economic benefits of hundreds of millions of pounds through shorter journey times. So we will consult later this year on raising the limit to get Britain moving." » | Allegra Stratton, political correspondent | Thursday, September 29, 2011
