Concern Over Cut In West London Crossing Times

A reduction in the length of time the green man shows at pedestrian crossings in west London has come under fire. Transport for London (TfL) has cut the crossing time to six seconds at 568 sets of lights across the capital, including on several major roads in the borough of Hounslow, Get West London reported.

In 2012 69 pedestrians were killed on London’s roads, up from 58 in 2010, according to official figures. However, over the past eight years the number of pedestrians killed or seriously injured has fallen by 8% and officials believe the 2013 figure will be lower than the year before. You may be able to claim accident compensation if you have been involved in a car accident. Speak to a personal injury solicitor for guidance.

Members of the London Assembly transport committee raised concerns about the reduced crossing times during a meeting with senior TfL officers about road safety. Valerie Shawcross, who chairs the transport committee, said the changes were a ‘great concern’. “It reverses more than a decade of improved casualty rates and we would expect TfL to be taking a proactive approach to building an evidence base to explain this worrying trend,” she said. Crossings in Brentford and Hounslow High Street, and Chiswick High Road will be affected by the changes, as well as 89 crossings in Westminster, 19 in Kensington and Chelsea and 14 in Hammersmith and Fulham.

TfL held a review into crossings and said that the new timings at 568 of about 6,000 crossings in the capital are now in line with national standards set out by the Department for Transport. Research carried out by TfL in 2009 said that changing the times would have no significant impact on safety. A TfL spokesman said: “We continue to monitor all roads across London to ensure that they remain as safe as possible for all road users and the long-term trend in a reduction of pedestrian KSIs shows that we continue to build on the solid progress made by TfL, London’s boroughs and the police to make our roads safer for all.”

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