The DoI Minister says her department will continue to address residents’ concerns if new 20mph speed limits are ignored.
While Infrastructure Minister Dr Michelle Haywood insists the initiative aligns with broader safety and environmental goals, members doubted both the future enforcement and effectiveness.
During a sitting on Tuesday, Chris Thomas (Douglas Central) queried the minister on the evidence supporting the scheme and whether it had the backing of local authorities, Members of the House of Keys (MHKs), and school leaders.
Dr Haywood confirmed that the scheme would cost £15,000 and was aimed at improving road safety and quality of life.
The department’s primary initiative for introducing residential 20 miles an hour speed limits is to realise the wider community-based benefits, including safer and more community-friendly streets and long-term health, environmental, and social goals.
Dr Michelle Haywood
Compliance
Concerns were raised about enforcement, with Jason Moorhouse (Arbory, Castletown and Malew) pointing out that similar schemes elsewhere had low compliance rates.
Dr Haywood said that the DoI just needs “one person to adhere to the limits, because everyone else behind them is going to have to stick to those limits as well”.
She added: “However, what we are doing as these signs are installed is that We are then monitoring the speeds on the roads, and we are committed to going back and addressing if those roads are still proving to have high speeds that are unacceptable for the location.”
Dr Haywood noted that casualty reduction was a potential benefit but acknowledged the lack of Isle of Man-specific data, instead citing evidence from the UK and Europe.
She said: “We are committed to going back and addressing if those roads are still proving to have high speeds that are unacceptable for the location.”
Almost Criminal
The minister also defended past comments she had made arguing that initial plans were “over-engineered” and costly.
Dr Haywood had previously described the original proposal as ‘insane’ and ‘almost criminal,’ but clarified that her concerns were about excessive road modifications rather than the concept of speed reduction.
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