The excellent article by Iain Macwhirter ("Twenty plenty but speed limit must be introduced sensibly", The Herald, March 17 is probably the best advocacy for 20mph I’ve seen in a couple of decades of cycle campaigning. He highlights how this measure makes urban streetscape better for everyone; most of all for the driving experience, as well as for making walking and cycling so much more possible and agreeable.

Glasgow City Council has recognised this and included 20mph as part of its commendable city centre transport strategy, 2014-2024. However, as your headline says, it must be introduced sensibly and, even though the Traffic Regulation Order for a 20mph limit in the city centre has been made, it is a worrying that there is little news of how this is to be brought in. The encouraging successes of 20mph limits across British towns and cities have been accompanied by significant information and behaviour change promotion, which has lead to local ownership of the schemes and their compliance.

Simply putting up 20mph signs around the city centre perimeter could lead to some confusion and antagonism. There has been no response to queries about a timetable or budget for this work so far. It is needed to ensure a smooth transition to the welcome benefits on offer.

These benefits could be easily and inexpensively extended all Glasgow City Council areas by using new Transport Scotland guidelines that encourage councils to adopt 20mph Areas. These use simple signage rather than the expensive speed bumps, as in the previous zone-by-zone method. Glasgow councillors agreed with a petition calling for this. We want to see the improvements to "places for people" so that they can be enjoyed in all parts of the city.

Ideally, Scotland should also lead in the UK by simply changing the default urban 30mph limit to 20mph, with each local authority deciding which roads justify being at a higher speed limit. When asked to do this, Transport Minister Derek Mackay said the Scottish Government didn’t want to dictate to councils. The proposal wouldn’t have inhibited any individual council actions. Also, there is an acclaimed record from previous bold legislation, such as tackling passive smoking, involving people's lives being endangered by the actions of others.

As a cycle campaigner and former councillor for Scotland with CTC, the national cycling charity, the two major interventions we have long called for to make the game changing difference have been a 20mph limit where other people are about, coupled with presumed liability to help protect the most vulnerable. There are encouraging signs of progress towards both.

Peter Hayman,

The Todd Building,

70 Ingram Street,

Glasgow.