London’s new mayor outlines ‘zero tolerance approach’ to road casualties

400px-Sadiq_Khan-1The new mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has called for a ‘zero tolerance approach’ to road traffic casualties after his election success last week (5 May).

Mr Khan believes his package of plans, outlined in a letter to the London Road Safety Council, will ‘bring about a marked improvement on London’s roads’.

Among the key points is a continuation of his long-term support for 20mph speed limits in the capital’s residential areas.

In March 2014, the then Labour MP for Tooting received a road safety award from the charity Brake, recognising his commitment to increasing the number of 20mph speed limits in his constituency.

His support for 20mph limits, which he believes will reduce average speed, has been backed by the campaign group 20’s Plenty for Us.

In his letter to the LRSC, Mr Khan also mentioned car-free weekends in central London, following the blueprint of a similar event which takes place in Paris.

Mr Khan’s plans to create a ‘better balance between all road users’ include continued investment in cycling (including the next phase of Cycle Superhighways), more Quietways and enhanced cycle storage in residential and business areas.

In terms of pedestrians, Mr Khan is hoping to establish ‘Safe Routes to School’, identifying routes children can use away from the most polluted roads. He also wants to appoint a ‘pedestrian champion’ to lead on measures to promote walking across the city.

He also says he wants to work with cycle groups, TfL, businesses and local authorities to identify ways of cutting the number of the ‘most dangerous’ lorries on London’s roads.  

This is part of a push to make London’s roads cleaner and safer for all users, which also includes widening the area covered by the Ultra Low Emission Zone and investigating bringing its proposed introduction forward from 2020.

In response, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) has urged Mr Khan to review the London Lorry Control Scheme which restricts the industry’s ability to deliver at night.

The FTA has also called for a discount on the congestion charge for the latest generation of clean lorries and vans, to encourage these vehicles into London well ahead of the introduction of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone.

11 May 2016


Photo: Policy Exchange, via Flickr. Used under Creative Commons.