Campaign launched for 20mph in Fife town

Sustainable Cupar believes a 20mph speed limit on roads including South Road, Burnside, Bonnygate and Crossgate, will improve the air quality and make the town safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

The environmental group ran its annual ‘humbug poll’ at Christmas, giving locals the chance to vote for their favourite proposal, with most showing their support for a 20mph speed limit.

The group is looking to launch a petition to gather support for the idea.

“A lot of the stuff we’re talking about is not so much environmental, it’s social,” said Sustainable Cupar chairperson Gordon Pay.

“How do people get around? Do they feel safe walking around? We don’t want to stop people coming into town.

“We want to encourage them to come into town. Cars don’t go into shops and buy things, people do.

“You need an environment where people feel comfortable being in town and that is what we are trying to create.

“If you go from 30mph to 20mph, you reduce the pollution quite considerably.

“It also makes it safer for walking and cycling, so you’re more likely to get people transferring from a car, to cycling or walking.”

Mr Pay noted there has been campaigns in the past, set up by concerned residents calling for 20mph speed limits on individual roads, including one on South Road.

There has also been calls to extend a temporary 20mph speed limit on Carslogie Road, outside Bell Baxter, further into the town centre.

He said the group just wanted to focus on certain roads in Cupar for now, rather than ask for a carpet speed limit across the entire town.

“You could say after all that ‘why not just make the whole thing 20mph?’,” he said.

“That’s an argument. But let’s start with the defensible things. Let’s not make it 20mph for no particular reason. Let’s start with those areas.”

Alison Milne, treasurer, said she wanted to have a positive discussion about the idea.

“A lot of people in the community do want 20mph. There will be people in the community who do not want 20mph. We respect that. We feel it is worth campaigning for. We don’t want to divide the community.”

For more information about Sustainable Cupar, visit www.facebook.com/sustainablecupar.