Cabinet puts speed limit back up to 120km/h on "cheaper oil"

After what Deputy Prime Minister Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba termed "a heated debate" in Cabinet on Friday, the government decided to restore from July 1 the speed limit on Spanish roads to 120km/h from 110km/h, a measure which the Socialist reminded detractors had been merely transitional.

Rubalcaba stated that since its introduction in March, the temporary reduction had saved Spain's commercial deficit 450 million eurosand that "only [the cost of] 230,000 euros in [replacement speed sign] stickers needs to be subtracted." Rubalcaba went on to say the measure "now has no sense" as the price of oil is falling. "Today, a barrel is $106 and forecasts are that it will continue to fall."

Some Socialist Party members had called for the 110km/h limit to be maintained. "The country saves energy, emissions are lower and the accident rate has improved. In my opinion, these factors have more weight than what can be gained by returning to 120km/h," said Socialist environment secretary Hugo Morán.

Greenpeace stated that the government lacked "the necessary courage" to maintain the lower limit and said the move puts Spain on the back foot in meeting its 2020 target of reducing emissions by 20 percent.