West Lothian Council has wasted £600,000 from the taxpayer on the "Spaces for People" scheme, which has involved reducing the speed limit on main roads across West Lothian to 20mph in order to try and obstruct the majority of people, businesses, and other services grinding them to a halt. This has created extensive frustration and delay to the people of West Lothian. The council claims that this is in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic but is instead using it as a guise to enforce an agenda of pandering to minority cycling enthusiasts.

This action is one of the most uncalled for and forced ever performed by West Lothian Council as the well-disguised "survey" conducted by them involved just 471 people, approximately 0.25% of the West Lothian adult population. It is clear that this survey is a misrepresentation of the community.

There has been a clear, universal disagreement with this measure as it is seeking to mass criminalise everyday people and use them as a means for more revenue. This is completely undemocratic and to note there have been several studies that have shown 20mph limits on main roads are a waste of resources. Not only do these increase journey times and traffic, they also increase the risk of accidents due to less caution being exercised by other people. Additionally, this scheme has created huge amounts of confusion and undermines the 20mph limit on side streets and estates. There is absolutely no benefit immediately or long term to the taxpayer for this when the budget could have been actually worthwhile spent elsewhere. 

By trying to force this agenda on people it has been clear that the council is trying to change the law using a back door method, as this is a blatant mass abuse of "experimental" Traffic Regulation Orders across the majority of the county. Despite wasting this money the council is continuing to campaign for more money to squander from the Scottish Government and claims it is "underfunded" desperately. The execution of this is an utterly ridiculous mismanagement of a vital resource and the council should revert this change and stay out of trying to inhibit the taxpaying public and their use of public roads in a sensible manor.