Swansea East AM Mike Hedges has been named road safety parliamentarian of the month for May 2015 by the charity Brake and Direct Line Group.
The award recognises the Swansea AM’s work to make walking and cycling to schools in Llansamlet safer, enabling more kids to enjoy healthy, active travel. Mike becomes the first Welsh Assembly Member to be recognised by the award.
Mike Hedges’ campaigning has met with encouraging success, helping to secure £241,000 from Sustrans’ Safe Routes to School initiative in May 2015 to improve road safety in the area of two schools in his constituency, Trallwn Primary and Talycopa Primary. The money is set to pay for a park and stride facility for Trallwn Primary School, and new pedestrian crossings and cycle facilities for both schools. Both schools will also see a 20mph speed limit adopted in the surrounding area to protect people on foot and bike.
Mike’s work had already helped spur Swansea Council implementing 11 new 20mph zones in 2014. 20mph speed limits are becoming more and more widely recognised as one of the best ways to protect people on foot and bike, helping adults and children to walk and cycle in their communities, for their health and enjoyment, and as a sustainable way to get about, without being put in danger.
