THE introduction of a 20mph limit 'as standard' on Wales' roads is an idea whose time has not only come - it arrived a good while ago, and has been since stuck in a bureaucratic traffic jam.

It is sensible on many levels, of which improving road safety and reducing pollution are the two most obvious.

But it is right thing to do on a practical level too - because on our increasingly overcrowded streets, it is practically impossible to travel at more than 20mph anyway, for most of the time.

During my five-minute car journeys to and from work, the streets are so packed with traffic - moving or stationary - that reaching 30mph is a goal that is proving increasingly elusive.

When you have cars parked on both sides of a road, even the wider, main roads, drivers passing each other in opposite directions increasingly risk a damaged wing mirror.

Much better to slow down, take your time, and arrive at work or at home unscathed.

But... It is all very well the experts claiming there is clear, consistent support for the introduction of such a limit.

There needs however, to be something more comprehensive than that, such as draft legislation accompanied by a well-publicised public consultation with people encouraged to air their views.

For such legislation would affect everyone, put simply, those who drive and those who do not.

That would give us a broader, more accurate picture of support and opposition.

Were a 20mph speed limit to be introduced as standard, there would need to be both a high profile publicity campaign, and a comprehensive programme of new signage.

It will be enough to simply introduce such a limit and expect people to understand where it applies.

For the term 'as standard' is vague at best. I'm fairly sure what it means, but I'm not 100 per cent certain, and I'll wager there are plenty of others like me. Also, will a 20mph rule have knock-on implications for existing 40mph and 50mph limits?

Sort out all of the above issues however, and this would benefit everyone.