I just did a fairly unscientific test over a week. Unlike
@Zlatan 7's car my 10 year old Mazda can coast quite comfortably at about 1800 @ 30 and about 1500 @ 20 (1400 and 1100 works, but makes me feel a bit nervous). On the negative side it takes me about 5 minutes longer on average to complete a 30 minute journey (now 35 minutes) - so my engine is definitely running for longer. Environmentally it feels like it would be something approaching a wash.
The extra time isn't a big deal for me, I reckon I'd get used to it fairly quickly, but I imagine that this extra journey time compounds when your industry is reliant on transport. Say it takes 10% longer to get somewhere; probably means that you can do x% fewer deliveries in a day, visit x% fewer patients, pick up x% fewer fares etc. I can see why certain already under pressure industries might be a bit upset.
I hate it so far, my 13 year old diesel car is not liking it anyway, spending far more time in second gear with higher revs, may coast a while in 3rd at 20 but soon as there’s a slight hill or the car in front wants to do 15-20 then I’m changing down.
the amount of money wasted putting 20 signs up on streets that don’t need it, 50 yard dead end lanes for example is staggering.
roads with 30 one way, 20 the other
Roads with no signs that people are doing 15-20 on just incase is quite frankly dangerous,
I stick to the limit religiously in work van and this week I’ve been beeped at and overtaken quite a few times, it’s turned the roads into racetracks.
I’ve never seen so many tail backs and cars travelling so close to each other.
wales is not a city, these rural areas and small towns do not need so many 20 zones, it’s like living in toy town when you see cars crawling around on wide open streets with hedges either side of the road. I feel sorry for carers, doctors, delivery drivers etc who have had their working day extended so much or the patients who will not be seen
there’s a petition running to look into this that has 350,000 signatures in a few days, people are clearly against it.