First 15mph limit to aid Square Mile safety

A 15MPH speed limit is set to be introduced in an area of the UK for the first time.

The City of London Corporation voted to enforce the measure across the Square Mile in an attempt to reduce the likelihood and severity of collisions.

It says its “radical” transport strategy to lower the existing 20 mph limit will prioritise the needs of pedestrians and cyclists. The local authority wants to reduce traffic by a quarter by 2030.

The speed limit could be enforced by 2021/22 if it is approved by the Department for Transport (DFT).

Alastair Moss, the chairman of the corporation’s planning and transportation committee, said: “These radical plans will ensure the continued success of not just the City, but wider London and the UK as a leading global business and cultural destination.”

However, Edmund King, the AA president, said switching the limit from 20mph to 15mph was “not likely to make much difference” as traffic in the Square Mile had “moved no faster than a horse and cart for 100 years anyway”.

He added: “All road users and pedestrians being more alert, abiding by the rules of the road and putting away their phones would probably be more effective than reducing the limit.”

A DFT spokeswoman said: “We await the application from the City of London Corporation and will respond in due course.”