Escalating his efforts against speeding motorists, Sadiq Khan has committed to issuing one million speeding fines to London drivers by the end of 2024.
The Mayor of London revealed his intentions to tackle speeding in the capital by setting stringent targets for the Metropolitan Police and bolster their drive to issue more speeding fines. This move was emphasized to promote road safety. The city is also deploying a network of new cameras to crack down on speeding violations.
As reported by GB News, Drivers who exceed the speed limit will face a £100 fine and a three-point penalty on their licenses.
Mayor’s New Speeding Fine Initiative
Recently released data reveals a concerning trend: nearly a quarter of registered vehicles in the city have been slapped with speeding fines between 2018 and 2024. The Metropolitan Police issued an estimated 595,000 tickets during this period, with a significant portion targeting drivers exceeding the 20mph speed limit.
Notably, speeding fines in these zones have skyrocketed by a staggering 700 percent since 2018. A study conducted earlier this year found London to be the world’s most sluggish city for motorists, with traffic averaging a crawl of only 10mph due to the city’s prevalence of 20mph speed zones.
In a move to enhance road safety, 17 miles of roads across Camden, Islington, Hackney, Haringey and Tower Hamlets were placed under a 20mph speed limit starting last March 31.
Transport for London (TfL) said: “The laser cameras, which are operated by a team of police community support officers for the first time, complement other policing and enforcement activities to tackle speeding.”
“This includes London’s extensive fixed safety camera network, police roadside enforcement using speed guns, and Community Roadwatch, where community volunteers work with police to educate speeding motorists about the dangers and consequences of speeding.”
Reports indicate a significant safety benefit from London’s 20mph zones: a 25 percent reduction in the risk of fatalities and serious injuries. The Mayor aims to have 136 miles of roads in inner and outer London with a 20mph speed limit by the year’s end.
London traffic continues to slow, with satellite navigation data from TomTom showing it took drivers an average of 37 minutes and 20 seconds to travel just 6.2 miles (10 kilometres) last year, marking a one-minute increase compared to 2022.
The Impact So Far
The slowdown coincides with Mayor Khan’s expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) and implementation of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, resulting in increased fines for motorists.
Additionally, TomTom suggests that the expansion of 20mph zones last year and other measures might have contributed to higher greenhouse gas emissions due to increased travel times.
Dublin follows London as the world’s second-slowest city centre, with trips averaging 29 minutes and 30 seconds for just 6.2 miles. Toronto (29 minutes), Milan (28 minutes and 50 seconds), and Lima (28 minutes and 30 seconds) round out the top five slowest.
Apart from the speeding tickets, Khan is lauded for proactive schemes like SWEP, which offers immediate relief to homeless people during brutal winters. On the other hand, critics like Home Secretary Cleverly point out shortcomings in tackling a pressing issue – violent crime.
