Wales' 20mph speed limits: More being considered - minister

Speed limits on other roads will be considered after the introduction of a default 20mph limit across Wales, a minister has said.

Deputy climate change minister Lee Waters said the Welsh government would look at other changes in future.

"We need to review [speed limits] in line with the Wales transport strategy," he said.

But the Welsh Conservatives' transport spokeswoman Natasha Asghar urged the Welsh government to ditch the limit.

Mr Waters added: "If there is an accident blackspot, rather than saying 'let's spend £30m over five years on a carbon intensive road scheme', let's just drop the speed limit.

"We can do that next week it won't cost us anything. It will save lives."

However, he was clear that there were no plans to introduce another nationwide change and told the BBC's Walescast there was "not some secret plan to drop speed limits everywhere".

The rollout of the new 20mph speed limit on Sunday has sparked a backlash, with more than 270,000 people signing a petition calling for the Welsh government to scrap it.

The man behind the petition said he hoped it could reach one million signatures.

Mark Baker, from Bridgend, said Welsh government ministers would not be able to ignore it if it got that large.

"I expected support, as you would be able to see online this has never been popular from the get-go. I just didn't think it would go this fast," he said.

The Senedd often speaks to petitioners after they reach the 10,000 threshold to see if they would like to close it before their original deadline, so a debate can be held in the Cardiff Bay parliament.

Mr Baker said the Senedd got in touch with him on Tuesday.

"I expressed my thanks and advised them to continue this petition for the full six months so the Welsh government can see just how unpopular this policy is with the Welsh people," he said.

"The last petition to get over 20,000 signatures was closed early and they simply shrugged it off in plenary and dismissed it."

Mr Baker said he "usually" voted Labour, but when asked if he will in the future, he said: "I honestly couldn't tell you at this point in time."

Mr Waters has also faced criticism from within his own party, including former Transport Minister Ken Skates.

"If you're knocking doors, you're going to be uneasy aren't you? Why wouldn't you be? You don't want negativity towards your party or your policies at all if you're a politician," he said.

"I've spoken to our parliamentary candidates who are facing this now and they are jittery about it. I don't blame them. I would be if I was them.

"But what is the point of being here if we are not prepared to do what we know is right but is difficult."

Opposition parties have also pushed the Welsh government on costs and the affect the change will have on the economy.

Speaking in the Senedd, Welsh Conservatives' transport spokeswoman Ms Asghar said: "Residents have had their say on this and the verdict is resounding.

"They do not want this costly, ill-thought out, disastrous blanket.

"The Welsh government really need to scrap this anti-drive mentality and instead ensure Wales has an adequate road network for the future."