Meeting minutes released under FoI have revealed why the 20mph speed limit rollout was paused, as ministers shifted focus to schools and care facilities.
Minister Tim Crookall announced an immediate halt to the scheme after taking office.
He said that “95% of the public who contacted him did not support the 20mph scheme”, though this was challenged by others.
During the meeting to review the scheme on January 22, Chief Minister Alf Cannan asked what the immediate next steps were.
Mr Cannan requested that “the focus for implementation should now shift towards schools and care facilities with a policy direction drafted supporting this”.
The meeting heard that implementation works in Port St Mary had already been carried out, while works due for Douglas and Onchan had been paused.
Highways Division’s Kirkland Adair advised that plans could be revised to show clearly what roads would be included and which excluded. He suggested that planning and redesign would take “around 2 to 3 weeks.”
However Julie Ronan advised that it was not possible to rescind the published Traffic Regulation Order as all streets identified for 20mph were contained within a single Order.
She warned that if rescinded, “all speed limits would be invalid.”
It was agreed that a request from Ann Corlett MHK for speed signage around Ballakermeen High School was to be “reviewed and implemented first”.