East Dunbartonshire Council is to trial 20 miles per hour speed limit restrictions in Bearsden and Twechar with a view to applying them across the entire local authority area.

At a recent meeting, councillors agreed to introduce the new limits in Bearsden and Twechar, and subsequently decide on whether to implement them on all residential streets in East Dunbartonshire.

Although the Scottish Government had previously explored a possible national scheme to apply the restriction on a general basis, it decided against these plans but encouraged local authorities to review their own speed limits. Transport Scotland has agreed to provide £1.8 million in funding for road markings, signs and other costs towards this change.

Evidence shows that a pedestrian is seven times more likely to be killed by a vehicle travelling at 30 miles per hour compared to 20 miles per hour, so this change is expected to improve road safety while also encouraging people to walk or cycle instead of using cars.

Statistics from 2022 show that the majority of serious road traffic casualties occurred on roads with speed limits of 30 or 60 miles per hour, and just over half of those sustaining fatal or serious injuries were cyclists or pedestrians.

Exceptions to the new limits in Bearsden are Baljaffray Road, Bearden Road, Canniesburn Road, Canniebsurn Toll, Chesters Road, Drymen Road, Grampain Way, Killermont Bridge, Macfarlane Road, Maryhill Road, Pendicle Road, Rannoch Drive and Switchback Road. There are no such exceptions in Twechar.