Mayor planning blanket 20mph limit in London

LONDON is set to join a growing list of cities planning a blanket limit of 20mph across its central roads.

Under new proposals from Mayor Sadiq Khan, 20mph speed limits would be introduced on every road managed by Transport for London (TFL) in the centre of the capital by 2020.

This would restrict all roads inside the Congestion Charge zone to 20mph. TFL is also said to be considering introducing the same limit on its roads in other high-risk areas of the capital.

Edinburgh is another city embarking on replacing its 30mph limits with a lower maximum. Earlier this year, the Scottish capital launched the final phase of a four-stage plan that aims to convert many inner city roads to 20mph zones.

A study by the University of the West of England (UWE) found that in Bristol, the new limits helped save four lives and prevent 170 injuries, saving £15million a year. It also found average speeds fell by a “significant” 2.7mph since 2014 when the city introduced 20mph limits.

However, there is evidence to suggest the lower speed zones do not result in fewer accidents or fatalities.

Mayor of London Khan said: “At the heart of our plans is reducing the dangers of speeding vehicles across London, which is why we’re proposing a new general speed limit of 20mph on TFL roads within the Congestion Charge zone – protecting cyclists, pedestrians and all road users in the busiest part of the capital.”

“Plan would restrict all roads in the Congestion Charge zone to 20mph”