A MS has blasted the 20mph "shambles" after thousands of drivers were caught speeding across Wales in September.

Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, says the default 20mph speed limit is causing major confusion for motorists.

Mr Rowlands, was commenting after it was revealed that another 13,500 drivers were caught speeding on 20mph roads in Wales last month, a year on from when the controversial speed limit was introduced. 

Figures issued by GoSafe revealed that 6,667 motorists were caught exceeding the controversial speed limit on North Wales roads in September, a decrease of 1,291 from August. 

The average offence speed was 28.6mph, with the highest recorded being 85mph. 

Despite new guidelines being introduced, there has been little change in the number of roads reverting back to 30mph in Wrexham and Flintshire.

Mr Rowlands said: “I make no apologies for raising this issue yet again. Quite clearly people are still confused over this extremely unpopular and unwarranted policy.

Sam Rowlands MSSam Rowlands MS (Image: Freelance) “The number of motorists now being caught speeding is very concerning. Many are now driving faster to catch up with the time they have lost dawdling along in the 20mph areas. The whole policy is a complete and utter shambles.

“This of course will make very little difference to the Welsh Government’s whose new guidelines are far too strict and now have passed the buck to local authorities.

“The depth of feeling against this bonkers idea is immense and it is a real shame that local people and businesses continue to suffer for a policy which was ill thought out and quite frankly ridiculous.

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“Almost half a million people signed a petition against the new default speed limit which will come at a cost of around £33m an anticipated £9 billion hit to the Welsh economy.

“It really is a crazy vanity project. The money should have been spent where it is needed on the NHS, education and public services.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The principal objective of the policy is to save lives and reduce casualties on our roads. We always said that the policy would need refinement to get the right speeds on the right roads and our listening programme alongside the publication of new guidance co-produced with local authorities is helping us do that.  

“The latest police road collision data shows that collisions on 20mph and 30mph roads combined are the lowest recorded figures outside of the Covid pandemic with additional data published earlier this year illustrating an average drop in speeds of 4mph - from 28.9mph to 24.8mph. So, we know things are moving in the right direction.”