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‘Shameful’ Lib Dems abstain on child safety
Date published: 15 October 2009
A "shameful" abrogation of duty took place in Rochdale Borough council chamber last night as one after another Liberal Democrat councillors sat on their hands and abstained during a vote on a Labour motion to reduce speed limits on roads outside schools to 20mph.
Lib Dem group leader Alan Taylor could be clearly seen gesticulating to his Lib Dem colleagues to abstain and with three exceptions, Councillor Swift and Councillor Jones voted for the speed reduction and Councillor Ali against, they followed their leader’s instruction.
The motion, moved by Labour Councillor Colin Lambert, called on the council to introduce as a priority, a mandatory and enforceable 20mph speed limit on roads outside all schools in the borough.
The likelihood of being seriously injured rises significantly with small changes in impact speed. 85% of fatalities occurred at impact speeds below 40pmh, this compares with 45% of fatalities at less than 30mph, whilst impact with a pedestrian at 20mph the figure reduces to 5% fatalities.
Council and Lib Dem group leader Councillor Alan Taylor spoke against the reduction introducing what Labour Councillor Colin Lambert denounced as “red herrings”.
The Conservatives supported the motion with Councillor Ashley Dearnley speaking eloquently on the need to take action to “save children’s lives.”
With the majority of the Lib Dem party abstaining, a spectacle that one Lib Dem councillor, who does not want to be named, admitted was “shameful”, the motion was carried as Labour and Conservative councillors voted for the reduction to be implemented.
Comments
Something important like a mandatory order in the vicinity of schools and the Lib Dems sit on their hands. It is a move that most persons with school children would agree with. Although we do have other mandatory traffic orders, which are completely ignored. Lib Dems are probably trying to save face, rather than introduce another scheme they cannot enforce.
Now this really is a purposeful use of the Socialist red flag!
Weird approach. If the town can't afford the tens of thousands it will cost to mark these up then you should say so and vote no. Sitting on your hands is rather silly.
This Council motion as proposed by Labour with Conservative support has just meant that community efforts to get a reduced speed limit at St Michaels, Bamford is now much less likely to happen. Perplexed? See my councillor diary.
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The mind boggles. Is anyone else as perplexed as I am over this?
By Chill @ 15/10/2009 07:51:50