Manitoba poised to lower school zone speed limits

Municipalities in Manitoba will soon be able to reduce speed limits in school zones, if proposed changes to the provincial Highway Traffic Act are approved.

The NDP government has served notice it will introduce legislation as early as Thursday to give municipalities the option to set limits near schools.

"Our focus will be in terms of giving municipalities the ability to deal with what is a major concern in many communities, and that is speeding through school zones," Transportation Minister Steve Ashton told reporters on Wednesday.

The current speed limit in school zones is 50 kilometres an hour.

The move follows a request from Winnipeg city council, which voted earlier this year to reduce the current limit around schoolswithin the city to 30 kilometres an hour.

That request requires approval from the province.

"I think the experience across Canada is that you're better off to allow communities make those kind of decisions because, you know, no two communities are alike," Ashton said.