A ROAD safety charity is urging Bolton Council and others to step up efforts to implement 20mph speed limits across the borough.

Brake has launched a ‘GO 20 toolkit’ to help local authorities, schools and communities encourage drivers to go slow through their areas with posters, banners and literature.

Bolton Council voted last year to introduce a 20mph limit in most residential roads across the borough, but plans were put on hold due to a lack of funding.

James McLoughlin, spokesperson for Brake, said the charity accepts there are financial implications for the council, and is campaigning on a national level to remove expensive restrictions.

He said: “The toolkit certainly would be applicable to Bolton to help get residents on board with 20mph limits, and demonstrate to drivers why it is important, and beneficial to them, to GO 20. Financial barriers are something councils have expressed concern about.

“Making the change nationally would remove the need for local authorities to make legal orders, run their own awareness campaigns and install 20mph repeater signs and other measures to meet regulations and improve compliance, which can all be expensive.”

Bolton Green Party has campaigned for a reduction in the speed limit across the town, and chairman Alan Johnson said funding should not be a barrier.

He said: “It is affordable. We need signage – it would not cost the earth. If they have agreed in principle then what are they waiting for? Just do it.”

“I don’t see any reason for stalling; I wish the council would stop dragging its feet.

“What bigger priority is there than the safety of our children, elderly, pedestrians and other car drivers?”

Cllr David Chadwick, the member in charge of highways and transport at Bolton Council, said the authority is continually looking for ways to fund a speed limit reduction, but it is very difficult with a reduced budget and other concerns.

Cllr Chadwick said: “I don’t want to belittle the safety of our town, but the council’s budget has been cut by £800,000. It’s about identifying priorities for the authority to focus on.”