Wales’s war on motorists continues: Drivers face double blow as new report calls for Ulez-style congestion charge in Cardiff and for buses to be exempt from 20mph limits

• Mark Drakeford’s Government has been accused of waging a ‘war on motorists’

Wales’s war on motorists continues as drivers face a double blow after a new report called for a Ulez-style congestion charge in Cardiff and for buses to be exempt from 20mph limits. 

Mark Drakeford’s Welsh Labour Government has been accused of waging a ‘war on motorists’ with its plans for drivers to ditch their cars and take up public transport.

A union-backed think-tank says bus travel needs to be able to go faster than cars – and suggests they are exempt from the default 20mph limits.

The TUC-sponsored report out today by charity Centre for Cities also recommends an Ulez-style congestion charge in Cardiff – with drivers facing a £3 daily charge.

The Welsh Government has set a target to have 45 per cent of all journeys done by public transport and active travel by 2040 – despite its creaky public transport system.

A union-backed think-tank says bus travel needs to be able to go faster than cars – and suggests they are exempt from the default 20mph limits (file image) 

Protesters in Cardiff demanded 20mph speed limits are scrapped as they marched through the city centre in September (pictured)

Mark Drakeford’s (pictured) Welsh Labour Government has been accused of waging a ‘war on motorists’ with its plans for drivers to ditch their cars and take up public transport

Welsh Conservative Shadow Transport Minister Natasha Asghar MS said: ‘It is undeniable that the Labour Government is waging a war on motorists forcing people out of their cars and removing the freedom of choice to drive, this report gives Labour all the excuses needed to enact their regressive plans.

‘With the report recommending buses be exempt from Labour’s blanket 20mph speed limit, this gives the Labour Government further justification to remove cars from our roads under the guise of saying it will promote economic and productivity growth which is absurd.

‘The report also includes road charging, workplace parking levies and raising fuel duty for Welsh motorists.

READ MORE: Mark Drakeford’s ‘ULEZ-style’ war on motorists sparks furious backlash: Locals claim ‘stupid’ plan to impose blanket 20mph speed limit across Wales will hurt businesses amid fears of £9billion hit to economy 

‘It is completely unacceptable that people will be punished for owning a vehicle and simply trying to get to work. If Labour act on the recommendations it will paint a worryingly dystopian future for Wales.’

The report said cars were ‘more competitive’ than buses or other forms of public transport in many places in Wales due to the country’s rural population.

It said Cardiff was the best place to cut reliance on cars due to the high number of jobs in the city centre but other towns and cities in Wales needed new forms of public transport for commuters to get to work.

It added: ‘The Welsh Government and local authorities should look to maximise the performance of the existing system too.

‘To do this, local authorities should exempt bus lanes from the new 20mph speed limit where this would be safe and appropriate.

‘And the Welsh Government should assess what role bus franchising can play in different parts of Wales.’

‘It’s hard to conceive Wales reaching its public transport and active travel target without a larger subsidy allocated to public transport than it has today.

‘The size of the subsidy required will be influenced by the built form of a place – just because a bus route exists, it doesn’t compel someone to get on it if the car remains the more attractive option.’

The report – sponsored by the Trade Union Congress – went on the add that money to fund better bus services could be raised by a congestion charge in Cardiff.

A 20mph sign in Gowerton near Swansea 20mph limit introduced in populated areas of Wales (file image)

A woman holds a sign during a protest against 20mph speed limits on September 23 in Cardiff after a default 20mph speed limit has been introduced on restricted roads across Wales

The report – sponsored by the Trade Union Congress – went on the add that money to fund better bus services could be raised by a congestion charge in Cardiff (file image)

It said that an Ulez-style charge of £2-a-day was already being planned by officials in a large part of Cardiff – but recommended ministers instead focus on a smaller area of the city and up the price to £3-a-day.

It said: The congestion charge being discussed in Cardiff is likely to be a £2 payment to each car entering the local authority. 

This policy will disincentivise driving towards Cardiff from non-residents, but will likely have much less impact on the driving behaviour of Cardiff’s residents.

An alternative would be charging a smaller area of the city where congestion is higher, the same way London, Milan and Stockholm operate.

‘Estimates suggest that it would be possible to raise a similar revenue (around £25million gross revenue) with a £3 congestion charge applied to a much smaller part of Cardiff that includes the city centre, Cardiff Bay, and surrounding areas.

‘Those are the areas with the highest job density (around 12.9 per cent of its land area and 55.4 per cent of all jobs), and so are the ones more likely to suffer from car congestion and poorer air quality.’

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