20mph limit for London

The Mayor today prepared the way for 20mph speed limits in every residential street in London.

Ken Livingstone said trials will begin next year using wireless cameras to enforce the lower speed. The new technology is much cheaper and easier to install than conventional wired speed traps.

A number of 20mph zones exist in boroughs such as Camden using a mixture of signs, speed humps, road narrowing and speed cameras. Mr Livingstone said they had been "stunningly successful" in reducing accidents by 57 per cent.

But he said the new zones should only be enforced by cameras rather than "cheap and miserable" road humps. Mr Livingstone told the London Assembly that if the trials were successful "you could roll out camera enforcement of 20mph lanes right the way across London".

He added: "My broad view is that in a residential area, there should be a 20mph limit. That is what is about to be introduced where I live (in Cricklewood) but it's being done with road humps.

"I think if you can say 20mph zones without the road humps there won't be any opposition."

Transport for London, which would carry out the trials, has a £10 million fund available to boroughs this year to introduce low-speed areas.

Jenny Jones, a member of the Green party and the Mayor's road safety adviser, said: "Making 20mph the normal speed limit in London would save lives, save money and give a major boost to cycling. There would be exemptions for some major roads, but all London's residential areas would be covered by the zone.

"The big advantage of having a London wide reduction in the speed limit is that we could reduce speeds without having to put in all the road humps, chicanes and other traffic calming measures that drivers hate. The London Mayor also needs to work closely with borough leaders who want to take a lead on this."