The Labour Group's transport spokesperson, Coun. Ruth Potter said she was delighted at the progress being made, while acknowledging there is still a long way to go:

"Given we have been campaigning for around two years to get 20mph speed limits introduced in residential areas, we are delighted that this trial will go wider than just one or two streets (see whole area plan attached). We remain committed to a city-wide limit which, contrary to the myth pedalled by Coun. Steve Galloway, would not lead to a huge policing problem.

"A city-wide limit in residential areas is about changing driver behaviour and it's ridiculous to suggest it would require a police officer on every street in the city monitoring it. The current limit doesn't and neither would a 20mph limit.

"The South Bank trial does mean the safer streets agenda is moving forward and we believe it is only a matter of time before York follows the good practice going on in an ever-increasing list of towns and cities up and down the country, helping to make their neighbourhoods safer and more pleasant places to live, by applying the 20mph limit to all residential streets throughout the whole city".

"Despite the Greens' rhetoric, they have presented just one petition to council for their own Fishergate ward in the last two years. Labour has presented 19, going to show who is serious about making streets safer across the whole of the city, rather than in just one small part of one ward".