I am deeply concerned about the amount of residents who have contacted me in relation to the new traffic restrictions in some areas of Croydon in particular in Parsons Mead and around Southcote Road. These are around the schools.
I have been in touch with the council who provided this response in respect of the zone around The Ridgeway School: “Further to my e-mail last week I did manage to take a look at the School Zone signs in Southcote Road and I am satisfied that these have been positioned correctly and should be clearly visible to drivers approaching either from Elmfield Way or from The Ridgeway.
The ‘Traffic Enforcement Camera’ sign should give warning to motorists that there is a possible restriction ahead and drivers can turn into Ellenbridge Way should they realise that they are about to pass a restriction. As I previously stated it is possible that some motorists that regularly drive through this area may be unaware of the new signs and inadvertently passing the restrictions without realising. This explanation may not be sufficient to argue that the ticket should be cancelled”.
Clearly residents are unaware when driving into these restricted areas and are surprised when they receive a PCN (ticket/fine).
I have also been in touch with the Conservative lead Cllr Gareth Streeter who has informed me that in Sutton they have announced an immediate suspension of all LTNs and school street schemes in light of the high-court ruling.
Next week there is an emergency Traffic Management meeting to discuss the future of the Crystal Palace scheme and Conservative members will be asking questions into the legality of each scheme. I have lodged a question asking how many residents have had the misfortune to receive a fine as a result of inadvertently driving into one of these zones. Cllr Yvette Hopley
