The possibility of a 20mph speed limit being introduced ‘city-wide’ in Birmingham has attracted both praise and criticism – with one councillor making a ‘loony left’ jibe.

The road safety emergency, declared by the Labour-run city council in the summer amid fears over dangerous driving, was debated at a full council meeting last week.

An inquiry report highlighted the link between lowering speed limits and reducing the numbers of people killed or seriously injured on the roads.

It continued that the council’s cabinet member for transport, councillor Majid Mahmood, had sent a letter to the government requesting a “20mph zone for the whole of Birmingham”.

“He is currently awaiting a response,” the report added.

In a statement, Cllr Mahmood told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that slower speed limits on appropriate roads would reduce collisions and save lives.

“For this reason, our Birmingham Transport Plan sets out that 20mph should be the speed limit in residential areas and where footfall is high,” he said. “Other types of roads will remain unaffected.”

One councillor who was displeased with the prospect of more 20mph limits however was the Conservative Party’s Meirion Jenkins (Sutton Mere Green), who took the opportunity to criticise the council’s administration during the meeting.

“Motorists and cars are the wheels that keep the Birmingham and Midlands economy turning,” he said.

“If we put obstacles in their way, whether its unnecessary traffic lights, unnecessary closures or the extremes of the loony left trying to turn the whole of Birmingham into a 20mph limit – we’ve seen in Wales what happens when they do that.”

Sparking both angry outbursts and applause, he continued: “When you slow motorists down, these are hard-working people, you extend their working day.

“Somebody needs to stand up and speak for the motorists.”

But others are keen to see speed limits reduced, with campaign group 20’s Plenty for Us saying: “The fuss about Birmingham City Council wanting to set a default 20mph limit is entirely manufactured.

“BCC already has a policy of 20mph for most urban roads. It’s just seeking a sensible process and signage reg change to make it cheaper to implement.

“An urban 20mph default is at the heart of any Safe System approach to traffic management.”

Earlier during the meeting, Labour cabinet member Majid Mahmood said there is a “desire to have a 20mph speed limit city-wide”.

“This is set out in the Birmingham Transport Plan and we are making lots of progress on this,” he continued.

He added the council was currently consulting on plans to slash almost all of Birmingham’s 40mph speed limits to 30mph.

“This will help us reduce the risk of road harm as well as allow for greater consistency and compliance across the city,” he said.

On the possibility of more 20mph speed limits in Birmingham, Coun Mahmood stated last week: “Slower speeds are less intimidating towards those who walk or cycle – activities that we need to encourage more of if we are to reduce the number of harmful emissions and traffic levels in the city.

“Approximately one third of the city’s roads are already subject to a 20mph speed limit.

“We would like to expand the number of roads subject to this speed limit where appropriate and are currently exploring opportunities to carry this out.”

Plans to introduce more 20mph limits in Birmingham would have to go through consultation first.

According to the inquiry report, Coun Mahmood said that the recent introduction of a ’20mph zone’ in Wales had highlighted there would be “cost implications” for Birmingham council in implementing something similar.

The Welsh government controversially introduced a default 20mph speed limit on restricted roads across Wales last year. Restricted roads are usually in residential and built-up areas where there are lots of people and often have street lights on them.

The default 20mph speed limits were introduced with the aim of reducing the number of collisions and severe injuries; making streets safer; and encouraging more people to walk and cycle.

They have proved deeply divisive however, with a recent YouGov survey suggesting that seven in ten Welsh people oppose them.

Cllr Mahmood added that progress was being made to tackle Birmingham’s road safety emergency and said he was lobbying for tougher sentences for dangerous drivers.

“Driving is not a right but a privilege and everyone should be able to feel safe on the roads and pavements,” he said.