| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Emergency services - not consulted? | |
| Posted by: | David Millar | |
| Date/Time: | 21/01/16 16:52:00 |
| Hello All in the LB of Houn-slow. I live just across the border in H&F. I think it is appropriate to bring a number of matters to your attention. 1) The 20 MPH speed consultation in H&F attracted over 2,500 responses. Our Council spun the results and claimed 71% of residents supported their proposal for a borough wide 20 MPH limit. In fact the honest answer was 46% supported the proposal, 29% were against and 26% said yes but only on some roads. When asked what roads should be excluded it was clear the likes of the Goldhawk/Uxbridge/Fulham Palace etc should remain at 30. 2) In H&F the police will not be enforcing the 20 MPH limit, as indeed they currently do not enforce the 30 MPH limit. In fact the yellow speed cameras along the likes of the A316 are no longer in action (though I do not advise testing this) as the cuts to police budgets mean they do not have the resource to enforce speed limits other than identifiable black spots. 3) My street currently has a 20 MPH speed limit and a straw poll of neighbours showed the majority did not know this. 4)What is lacking in both Councils proposals is any measure of common-sense. Most people drive to the conditions of the road relative to traffic density, sight-lines, parked cars etc. It is a sad fact that a few drivers (and bear in mind the increase in delivery vans from Amazon et al) will always want to get to their destination asap. No amount of speed limits/preventions will slow these people. 5)Pollution - a growing problem and stationary/slow traffic will exacerbate this. 6) Whilst most people would laud the aim of reducing accidents and casualties what the proposals are doing is taking a sledgehammer to the problem rather than a proper analysis of the causal factors and location clusters and then implementing specific measures appropriate to the road conditions. Sadly, at the end of the day, the politicians think that by having a blanket 20 MPH limit all will be resolved. We have been making this point in H&F and it is interesting that the Council's Cabinet, who were due to make a decision on 11th January, have now deferred it. Come on Houn-slow, stand up and make sense. |