New plans to impose the controversial 20mph speed limit on Islington’s busiest roads have been condemned by outraged locals.
Transport for London (TfL) last week announced plans to extend the restrictions to Upper Street and Holloway Road, which form part of the A1.
Hazmal Hussain, who has worked in Milly’s Mini Mart on Upper Street for five years, said:
“I work here every day, I see what the traffic is like and it’s madness. I think reducing the speed will only degrade the situation.”
She added: “Zebra crossings on Holloway Road are quite distant from one another, which forces pedestrians to do risky crossings.”
Alicia, who works in 171 Hair and Beauty salon, near Highbury Corner, said:
“It is often cyclists who take too much risk on the road.”
Cycling campaigners, however, were pleased with the decision, which was taken with the aim of achieving a 40 per cent decrease in road deaths in the next five years.
Tom Harrison, committee member for Islington Cyclists’ Action Group (ICAG), said: “We’ve been pushing for it for a long time, it’s the right thing to do.
“The appropriate speed should probably be less than that [20mph] anyway. It just makes collisions much less likely to occur.
“It’s not enough, but it certainly is a good step.”
The decision is part of a larger plan to convert 30 miles of London’s road network to 20mph limits.
Councillor Claudia Webbe, Islington’s executive member for environment and transport, said: “This is great news for pedestrians and cyclists.
“I’m delighted that TfL have at last heard what campaigners have been saying for years.”
In this video from 2012, campaigner Caroline Russell talks to businesses owners in Islington about the speed limit.
