- Furious motorists have been slapped with fines and points on their licenses
Hundreds of motorists are seeking to appeal speeding fines after it emegred that an ‘unauthorised’ 50mph sign was erected in a strict 40mph zone.
The fake speed sign on the A20 in Sidcup, south-east London, showed that motorists could travel up to 50mph, but the actual speed limit was set at 40mph.
TfL had introduced the temporary 40mph speed limit out of safety concerns due to ongoing surface water flooding which posed a ‘serious risk to road users’.
The inaccurate sign have left motorists fuming after finding that they were slapped with speeding fines and points of their licenses, unaware that the sign was fake and that they were driving over the speed limit.
The sign, on the eastbound side of the road, between Crittals Corner, in Sidcup, and the Swanley Interchange, has since been replaced with the correct speed limit, according to TfL.
The Met Police has confirmed it is investigating this as an attempt to pervert the course of justice.
Drivers have blamed conflicting signage, with at least one 50mph still being up as of January 24, for penalties which some motorists say puts them at risk of losing their jobs or licenses.
The misleading sign, which was located on the way to Swanley bypass BP garage, is believed to have been installed by a third party.
Eleven MPs and one GLA slammed TfL for its ‘poor’ communication of the temporary change of speed limits, as most people heard about the changes through email enquiries and freedom of information requests, according to News Shopper.
The MPs standing up for their constituents include Louie French MP, Sir Bob Neill MP, Kelly Tolhurst MP, Sir David Evennett MP, Laura Trott MP and Gareth Johnson MP.
A letter sent to Sadiq Khan and the Commissioner of Transport for London on the 31st January, highlighting the issue, said: ‘We write to you today as a collective group of elected representatives to raise our serious concerns regarding the ‘temporary’ measures Transport for London (TfL) have introduced on the A20 Eastbound near Sidcup.
‘In recent weeks, these MPs have been contacted by many drivers across London and the South East who have been issued speeding fines but were unaware of the reduction in the speed limit from 70mph and 50mph to 40mph on this stretch of the A20.
‘The majority of drivers have stated that they have been issued fines for travelling at speeds less than 50mph, with many concerned that they could now lose their freedom to drive and in some cases their jobs due to multiple fines and points being issued in quick succession.
‘Your communication of this ‘temporary’ change has been poor, with a combination of email enquiries and freedom of information requests being the main way in which the public have been informed of this change.’
A TfL spokesperson said: ‘Safety is our number one priority and we have temporarily introduced a 40mph speed limit on the A20 Sidcup Road due to ongoing surface water flooding which has caused a number of safety concerns and serious risk to road users.
‘The reduced speed limit has been introduced in response to that risk. Major work is required to put in place permanent measures to tackle flooding here and we are working to do this as soon as possible. We plan to begin construction work on these measures in May.
‘TfL wants to ensure that all drivers are treated fairly and speed limit signage was installed to reflect the new limit.
‘TfL reviewed the signage at this location and found that an incorrect 50mph sign had been recently placed at this location by an unauthorised third party. This has been replaced with the correct 40mph signage and TfL is investigating how the incorrect sign was installed.’
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
