A motion seeking to establish specific targets for the implementation of additional 20mph speed limits across London has been voted down at City Hall. The London Assembly debated this

proposal on Thursday, which called on Mayor Sadiq Khan to set new speed limit reduction targets of 20mph.

Green Assembly Member (AM) Siân Berry championed this motion, emphasizing that it would hold the mayor accountable for road safety in the city. However, the Labour party expressed its support for the idea in principle but ultimately could not vote in favor of it.

It's important to note that the mayor's jurisdiction over London's roads is relatively limited, as many roads are under the control of individual borough authorities rather than the mayor's office through Transport for London (TfL).

Ms. Berry's motion specifically urged the mayor to revise TfL's action plans to collaborate more closely with boroughs to achieve the proposed 20mph speed limit target.

Caroline Russell, another member of the Green Party, highlighted the absence of 20mph limits on certain London roads and stressed that such measures could potentially save lives.

Sadiq Khan's transport strategy underscores the importance of lowering speeds to enhance road safety, noting that a person is five times less likely to be fatally injured when hit at 20mph than at 30mph. The strategy also recommends considering a 20mph limit as part of all new schemes on the TfL road network.

Transport for London typically oversees trunk roads leading in and out of central London, the boundary roads of the congestion charge zone, and the North and South Circulars.

Labour AM Elly Baker explained her party's position, stating that although they supported the spirit of the motion, they could not vote for it because the mayor lacks the authority to mandate borough authorities to enforce speed limits on roads they manage. Consequently, Labour abstained from voting on Ms. Berry's proposal.

While the Green Party received support for their motion from the Liberal Democrats, the Conservative members voted against it, resulting in the motion failing to secure majority support from those who voted.

Notably, Susan Hall, the Tory mayoral candidate running against Sadiq Khan in the upcoming election, has declared her intention to remove 20mph limits from all main roads if elected.  Photo by DaringDonna, Wikimedia commons.