A FLINTSHIRE community is "seriously split" over the forthcoming introduction of new 20mph rules, it has been said.

From September 17, most 30mph speed limits in Wales are changing to 20mph.

And in Buckley, where the scheme was trialled last year, residents are divided over the forthcoming change.

Cllr Arnold Woolley, who leads the town's community speedwatch group, told the Leader: "It is seriously split between those who feel they are going to be inconvenienced and those who think basically slower speeds mean safer roads.

"There are arguments all the way around."

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He spoke of his concerns for those who work to strict timetables and deadlines.

"Most taxi drivers are self employed and own their own vehicle or have one supplied by the company," he said.

"If they can't do the number of tasks they need to in a day, can they manage without increasing the cost to the customer?

"We also have to worry about our care workers, because if for example they have five jobs in a morning and are behind, I'd hate to see any of them lose their licence by trying to catch up with lost time."

Cllr Woolley shared some of his own experiences of other motorists during the 20mph trial and up to today.

"I have to say that hardly any vehicles have been doing 20," he said.

"And when I have been doing 20, which I've done for the last year or more, I find drivers rush up my tail end to try and rush me along until they see there's a camera and - whoops - then they pull back.

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"I have been overtaken inappropriately, and even been overtaken by a cyclist.

"Even as I was out today, there was a little episode where a driver shouldn't have been as close to me as they were and then they rather inappropriately did a overtake which could have caused a collision."

On his advice to motorists, he added: "I think I'd suggest people go back to the three essentials of good driving.

"Those happen to be position on the road, speed and distance."