Tory boss against 30 km/h zones
Prime Minister Sunak criticizes “war on drivers”
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In low polls, the Tories have discovered a new constituency of voters: British Prime Minister Sunak has announced that he will “put the brakes on the war against drivers.” The Conservative party leader now wants to prevent 30 km/h zones from becoming widespread in inner cities.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants to put a stop to the 30 km/h zones that have now been introduced in more and more cities and towns in England. He was “putting the brakes on the war on drivers,” Sunak told the tabloid The Sun.
The government's guidelines for moving to 20 miles per hour (around 32 km/h) as the top speed are to be reviewed, the Department for Transport in London has confirmed. This is intended to prevent the nationwide switch to 20 mile zones where this is not appropriate, the ministry said in a statement. The establishment of traffic-calmed zones must also be restricted, said Sunak.
The Prime Minister is expected to attend his first party conference as Tory leader this weekend. However, implementation lies within the competence of the municipalities. The announcement is just part of a package of policy measures designed by Sunak to win over motorists. He recently postponed the end of sales of new cars with combustion engines from 2030 to 2035.
The background is that Sunak's Conservatives are far behind the opposition Labor Party in polls and are heading for defeat in the general election expected next year. The Conservatives received a glimmer of hope when they were able to take advantage of resistance to the expansion of the Ulez low-emission zone pushed through by Labor Mayor Sadiq Khan in a recent by-election on the outskirts of London. Since then, the prime minister has sought salvation in election promises for drivers.
