Tag Archives: Camera enforcement

Crackdown on anti-driver road schemes and blanket 20mph limits

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The Department for Transport has published draft statutory guidance for councils on low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs), setting out that they must gain buy-in from local residents, businesses and emergency services when considering implementing new LTN schemes. The new guidance will come into force this summer. For details see https://www.gov.uk/government/news/crackdown-on-anti-driver-road-schemes-and-blanket-20mph-limits-to-put-local-consent-first

The change in policy is supported by a report on LTNs and these comments: “While the review showed only a quarter of people understood the benefits of LTNs, it also flagged concerns over the impact on disabled residents, high numbers of penalty charge notices, the cost of LTN schemes and even concerns from emergency services that delays to crews caught up in LTNs could “potentially risk lives”. The new guidance aims to prevent councils having to reverse poorly-implemented or locally unpopular schemes – as with recently removed LTNs at Jesmond, Newcastle and Streatham Wells, London”. For the report see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/low-traffic-neighbourhood-review .

A consultation will also be launched this summer on measures including the removal of local authorities’ access to Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) data to enforce such schemes by camera. This would put a stop to councils generating income from camera enforced schemes and is surely to be welcomed.

The DfT have also published new guidance on setting local speed limits – see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/setting-local-speed-limits/setting-local-speed-limits . This looks quite reasonable but will TfL or local councils actually pay attention to it? That seems unlikely as they have recently introduced 20 limits on quite inappropriate roads in the name of road safety without any evidence to support their views.

Roger Lawson

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Drivers_London

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Millions Collected in Fines from LTNs

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The Times have reported that drivers have racked up £14 million in fines in London in just a few months by driving into Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs). Cameras were introduced to stop people driving through “bus gates” or into these zones instead of using physical barriers as the latter prevent emergency vehicles from accessing the roads.

The penalty for driving through the cameras is £130 and many people have collected PCNs because they have not noticed the signs. An extreme example given by the Times is that of Ivan Izikowitz who collected 58 fines totalling £7,500 after temporarily leaving home to help his wife in Lewisham.

But there are many other examples reported to us of people collecting fines about which they are very angry. Roads which were previously opened and regularly used catch people out, particularly as satnav systems have often not been updated to take account of the closure.

The £14 million total was collected in just 10 London boroughs and Lewisham obtained more than any other borough. Lewisham and other boroughs are of course keen to extract more money from motorists to help with their budget problems, but there is no justification for this behaviour.

The road closures should be removed as the Covid pandemic does not justify them and they have many other negative consequences.

Times article: https://tinyurl.com/b8u2hyzb

London road closures: https://www.freedomfordrivers.org/london-road-closures.htm

Lewisham campaign against closures: https://www.freedomfordrivers.org/lewisham.htm

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Drivers_London

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