Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister for Infrastructure (i) to outline the (a) timeline; and (b) criteria, for the further roll-out of the part-time 20mph speed limit scheme outside schools; and (ii) to detail how many additional schools are expected to be included in the next phase.
Minister for Infrastructure: Road safety is a high priority for my Department and I am committed to working proactively to make our roads safer and address the needs of all road users.
A review of the recent initiative introducing part-time 20mph speed limits at schools has been undertaken and is available on my Department’s internet site https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/publications/review-part-time-20mph-speed-limits-schools .
The review recommends the provision of a further tranche of part-time 20 mph speed limits at schools, however this will be more modest in size and is dependent on the availability of funding. The report also concludes that a more targeted approach is needed to ensure that the correct safety intervention is selected, and work to update our overall road safety at schools policy document is underway.
In the meantime, I have asked officials to prepare the programme of schools to be treated in this financial year based on the existing scored listing, but with preference given to rural schools which are located on roads where the national speed limit applies. Our approach to selecting schools is outlined in our interim policy document DEM 194/25 ‘Part-time 20mph Speed Limits at Schools – Tranche 3 2025/26’ which is publicly available at https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-05/part-time-20mph-speed-limits-at-schools-tranche3-2025-26-dem-19425.pdf
I intend to make an announcement on the number of schools to be treated in the next tranche in the coming weeks.
I would also like to see what can be done to improve attitudes to speeding, not only for road safety purposes, but to make places cleaner and greener. I have therefore asked my officials to prepare a paper on the use of permanent 20mph speed limits particularly near schools, in predominately residential areas and places such as town centres where there is a higher number of those walking, wheeling and cycling.
ENDS
Your MLA 