I AM very much in favour of the new 20mph zones being proposed for Edinburgh ("Plan to cut speed limit in much of Edinburgh to 20mph", The Herald, January 8) as their implementation in other areas has shown a significant reduction in serious accidents to pedestrians and cyclists.
I was therefore surprised to hear that the Scottish Police Service has no plans to routinely police these new speed limits should they be implemented.
A police spokesman is on record as saying that the police "will not routinely police the 20 mph zones, however will respond to any particular zones where there is a casualty reduction requirement".
This light-touch view is being reinforced by the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland, who state in their new guide on 20mph limits (published January ) that "20 mph limits will not be routinely enforced".
As the 20mph limits will be defined in law it seems astonishing to me that the police, backed up by the chief transport officers, can decide that they are going to generally ignore the implementation of this law. Under what authority can the police, who are public servants, pick and choose which laws they will enforce?
The police seemed to be falling over themselves to enforce the new lower drink-driving limit. Why their ambivalence to speed limit reduction?
Edinburgh City Council is seeking to implement a city-wide 20mph limit to make the city a safer and more pleasant environment. The police should be seeking to assist the council in this, not being standoffish.
After Edinburgh, I strongly support city-wide 20mph speed limits in Glasgow and all other Scottish towns and cities.
Bob Downie,
66 Mansewood Road,
Glasgow.
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