Howard, congestion in urban areas is increasing, more so in the larger ones. I visit our son in Cardiff and have changed my route to avoid some bad routes.i now have long stretches in 20 zones but that is a lesser evil than being stuck in non flowing traffic. I commuted 60 miles each way to Cardiff for 12 years and luckily to the outskirts. Colleagues were taking nearly as long as me to get home across Cardiff whilst I was using main routes and the M4.The problems outside these hotspots are the number of 20 zones in so many villages. These can string along long stretches of road due to the village following that road. Traffic bunches up along these roads as you’d expect due to the speed reduction. Non emergency ambulances are taking significantly longer to ferry people. It appears use of blue lights is now virtually mandatory on all ambulance journeys whether emergency or not. Also, due to schedules being buggered, buses may be allowed to ignore the 20 and run at 30 in bus lanes ( maybe even outside them).
There are still plenty of nice driving roads but some having the village20 interruptions. There also appears to be variations in how the different County Councils have kept higher limits, so a lack of conformity. Frustrations are increasing and I see more dubious driving moves. People are changing routes to avoid some zones, myself included using local knowledge. New rat runs created. I expect the numpty politicians to claim these routes as lesssafe and spout biased stats caused by the 20zone imposition.
As for the stats being bandied about journey times... utter bulls..t. If I quoted stats in that form for work I’d have been sacked.
Public transport as an option? Big joke in Wales!
EV in Wales? OK if in the population centres and charging at home with short journeys. Trouble is most of Wales is rural or remote.
Anyway, as Noddy says...It’s Christmas! Santa has exemption to 20 zones, this year at least.
