Unlawful A20 speed limit fines net £6.6m
Transport for London imposed a 40mph limit on the A20, but a lack of formal authority means fines may be unenforceable.
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Transport for London (TfL) raised £6.6 million from speeding fines on the A20 between Sidcup and Swanley after temporarily reducing the limit from 70mph to 40mph in 2023. The reduced limit was in place for a year while safety improvements were made. In the first six weeks alone, over 60,000 drivers were reportedly caught speeding and issued with fines.
Unlawful Restriction
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The validity of these fines has been called into question after documents revealed that a TfL employee approved the speed limit change without the necessary formal authority. This means the restriction was technically unenforceable. Drivers who received fines, penalty points, or had their licenses revoked have called for a review of how the traffic regulation orders were handled.
Thomas Turrell, the London Assembly Conservatives’ transport spokesman, stated that calls for an independent investigation are now unavoidable. He suggested that if officials knowingly attempted to pervert the course of justice, consequences should follow. However, a spokesman for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, denied any cover-up or misleading of the public. The spokesman told The Telegraph that the Mayor or TfL did not mislead anyone and that TfL remains confident enforcement was necessary due to safety risks.
TfL Response
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A TfL spokesperson told The Telegraph that the Crown Court case which highlighted the lack of authority does not set a binding precedent for other cases. The organisation stated it would support the Metropolitan Police in opposing upcoming appeals. The spokesperson added that safety is TfL's priority and the 40mph limit was introduced on A20 Sidcup Road in response to serious incidents caused by flooding, which posed a risk to life. TfL also stated that traffic regulation orders were made lawfully and all staff acted with authorisation.
Questions this report answers
+Why were drivers fined on the A20?
Transport for London temporarily reduced the speed limit on the A20 from 70mph to 40mph in 2023 for safety reasons related to flooding. Over 60,000 drivers were reportedly caught speeding and fined during the first six weeks of this reduced limit.
+Were the A20 speed limit fines lawful?
The speed limit reduction was technically unenforceable because a Transport for London employee signed off on the change without formal authority. This has led to questions about the validity of the fines issued.
+How much money was raised from the A20 fines?
During the year the reduced speed limit was in place on the A20, a total of £6.6 million was raised from speeding fines. This figure was reported by The Standard.
+What has Sadiq Khan said about the fines?
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has denied any cover-up or that TfL misled the public regarding the A20 speeding fines. His spokesman stated that enforcement was necessary due to safety risks and that traffic regulation orders were made lawfully.
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