.gif)
.gif)
.gif)
.gif)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.png)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Tradespeople Slapped With £177m Of Parking Fines In A Year
Tradespeople have been issued with an estimated 3.5 million parking fines costing them approximately £177 million in the past year, according to new...
Read Full Article
Tradesmen Are Slower In Wales
As of Sunday 17 September, the default speed limit in Wales has been reduced from 30mph to 20mph in built-up areas. Wales is the first country in the UK to put reduced speed limits in place.
According to the Welsh minister, the lower speed limit will reduce road-related deaths as well as reduce noise pollution from traffic. In addition, they are hoping this lower speed limit will encourage more people to walk or cycle instead of driving.
However, some people who use their vehicles for work, including many tradespeople, simply don’t have the option to walk or cycle to work. Below, the experts at MyJobQuote.co.uk go over how this new speed limit will affect tradespeople across Wales.
Which roads in Wales have changed to 20mph?
There are around 22,000 miles of roads in Wales. Of those roads, around 7,700 miles have now switched from the old 30mph speed limit to the new 20mph speed limit. This means that over a third of roads in the region have switched to the new lower speed limit.
Roughly 30,000 road signs are due to be replaced. The Welsh government has issued a map here which outlines all of the roads that are going to be affected by the lower speed limit.
To view the map – Click Here
https://datamap.gov.wales/maps/roads-affected-by-changes-to-the-speed-limit-on-re/
What enforcement is in place?
Responses will be reasonable and proportionate while drivers are getting used to the change. However, if you’re pulled over doing more than 20mph on one of the affected roads in Wales, you could face a minimum fine of £100 and receive 3 penalty points.
According to Welsh police, the focus for the first 12 months will be on education. However, if you’re caught by a fixed speed camera, you will face a penalty.
How does the new speed limit affect tradespeople across the country?
Unfortunately, the new speed limit is likely to affect most tradespeople across the country. Most tradespeople rely on their vehicles for getting to and from different jobs as well as for storing everything they need to complete their work, so they simply don’t have any other option but to commute with their work van or whatever type of vehicle they use for operating their business.
“It’s a right pain – putting it politely. It depends on where you're going and what you're doing. But if you’ve got a week or two of domestic jobs locally, it can add at least a third to each journey time.”
-Daniel Clayton
Owner of DC Tiling, Wales
Upping prices
The speed limit change may mean that tradespeople have to work longer hours in order to complete the same amount of work or they may have to sacrifice the number of jobs they are completing in a day due to the lengthier journey times. Tradespeople will likely have to increase their prices as they will be spending more time driving and less time completing work.
Picture: The default speed limit in Wales has been reduced to 20mph in built-up areas.
Article written by Cathryn Ellis
26th September 2023