TfL spends to boost speed limit enforcement

Speed Limits

A huge increase in speed limit enforcement in London should begin early next year.

News of the proposal to step up enforcement emerged this summer, with London Councils reporting that the aim is to increase the annual number of offences processed from 160,000 to one million (LTT 21 Jun).

Updating members of London Councils’ transport and environment committee this month,  transport manager Andrew Luck said: “TfL continue to progress the implementation of their speed enforcement action plan, which will lead to a 600 per cent increase in the number of speed offences processed per annum across London. This will result in over one million offences being dealt with every year.” 

He said TfL had funded back office software to improve the efficiency of the Metropolitan Police Service’s safety camera unit processing. The new facility should be operational by January. 

TfL has also funded additional overtime for Metropolitan Police Service safety camera unit staff. This led to an extra 10,066 offences being processed in the first three months. 

The Metropolitan Police Service has bought 30 speed guns and five video-based speed guns. The latter “enable on-street officers to capture hundreds of vehicles during a single deployment for remote enforcement activity”, said Luck. 

TfL and the Met Police have also agreed to delegate traffic powers to Police Community Support Officers (PSCOs), beginning with those in the roads and transport policing command and then extending to all PCSOs. This will result in an extra 700 officers with the capability to enforce  speed limits. 

TfL and London Councils have been developing new criteria for the siting of safety cameras (LTT 29 Mar). They should be finalised this autumn. 

Luck said TfL would also  work with a small number of boroughs to install additional speed cameras, funded by boroughs.