You write approvingly of the progress English metro mayors have made in an editorial (“England’s promising experiment with metro mayors”, FT View, April 9).
But in England and across Europe, there is an emerging and worrying trend of national governments attempting to make it difficult for cities to take action on road deaths through lower speed limits and other critical measures.
In Italy, the government has proposed a new road traffic law that would severely hamper the ability of local authorities to create low-traffic zones, install speed cameras and set lower speed limits.
In England, a “plan for drivers” from central government aims for similarly restrictive measures (“Ministers alter pitch to drivers after overstating London penalty appeals”, October 6, 2023).
In Germany, the government has so far resisted the efforts of more than 1,000 towns and cities that want more control over local speed limits. National policies like these, based not on science but political expediency, harm the ability of local authorities to take decisions on improving the safety and health of their citizens. And everybody loses.
Lower speed limits in urban areas are preventing deaths and improving lives today in cities across Europe. This is not about restricting the freedom of car drivers, it’s about making the roads safer for everyone, reducing noise and pollution, and making the city more inviting for those who choose healthier forms of transport like walking and cycling.
More than 70 per cent of Europeans live in cities, towns and suburbs. Urban areas face many challenges to the health and environment of their populations. Taking away the ability of local leaders to introduce simple, effective ways of reducing harm and improving lives cannot be justified.
Alison Lowe
Deputy Mayor, West Yorkshire, England
Thomas Dienberg
Deputy Mayor, Leipzig, Germany
Frauke Burgdorff
Head of Planning, Aachen, Germany
Co-spokespersons, Liveable Cities through Appropriate Speeds Campaign
Matteo Lepore
Mayor, Bologna, Italy
Philippe Close
Mayor, Brussels, Belgium
Mathias De Clerq
Mayor, Ghent, Belgium
Dario Nardella
Mayor, Florence, Italy
Arianna Censi
Deputy Mayor, Milan, Italy
Melanie Van der Horst
Deputy Mayor, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Vincent Karremans
Deputy Mayor, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Karin Pleijel
Deputy Mayor, Gothenburg, Sweden
Andréas Schönström
Deputy Mayor, Malmö, Sweden
Juhana Vartiainen
Mayor, Helsinki, Finland
