The Welsh Government has finally begun to enforce the 50mph speed limits on the M4 near Newport, with new data showing that toxic air pollution in the area remains above legal limits.
Officials said that from Thursday (17 November) motorists exceeding the limits between junctions 24 and 28 on the M4 ‘could be fined’.
The 50mph limit applies equally to zero emission vehicles
The announcement comes 20 months after the cameras were first installed in March 2021. A year later, it emerged that they were still not being used for prosecutions.
A Welsh Government spokesperson said that the IT system to enable full speed enforcement on this stretch of the M4 has been undergoing a significant upgrade and that this, together with the recruitment of staff, meant that enforcement was delayed.
Officials described the move as the final stage of a phased approach to improve air quality on some of the most polluted roads across Wales, as well as reduce congestion and improve safety along this section of the M4.
However, official data shows that in 2021 the annual mean nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentration at the roadside in the area was 45.4 μg/m3, up from 45.2 μg/m3 in 2020.
The Welsh Government spokesperson pointed out that traffic levels in 2021 were higher than in 2020, due to the pandemic. However, both figures are above the legal limit of 40 μg/m3 for years when lockdowns were in place.
Deputy minister for climate change Lee Waters also linked it to climate change. He said: ‘We've made significant progress in bringing emissions levels down in recent years, but we now have to go further and faster.
‘We know that slower speed limits are not a popular choice, but we need to do things differently and be bold if we are to stand a chance of tackling climate change.
‘It’s clear that the speed restrictions we’ve introduced on our most polluted roads are working - the results speak for themselves – but compliance with these limits is essential if we are to achieve the reductions we need to make in the shortest possible time.’
Officials said that since the Welsh Government introduced environmental speed limits in five areas, including on this stretch of the M4, there has been a lowering of nitrogen dioxide levels in these areas.
Enforcement in the other four areas began in October last year.
