A road closure active on Canonbury Place since Monday 9 November has been met with fury from residents, who gathered there on Tuesday and Thursday last week to protest.
“We’ve asked them to put ‘no entry’ signs up instead of these silly ‘no vehicle’ signs,” says a man who goes by ‘D Ludicrous’ on social media. He is part of the ‘Ludicrous Road Closures’ campaign page on Facebook. “It’s called a camera trap for a reason. You get a ticket for £130, and if you pay within 14 days it’s £65. But if you’re on a low income or don’t get paid until the end of the month, how do you pay?”
Andrea, a supporter of the ‘Ludicrous’ activist group, has stood for hours on end at similar spots across the borough – for example in Holloway – to prevent people getting fined. She said: “On seven occasions, we’ve stopped 539 cars getting a ticket. They’re money-making schemes – they’re deliberately confusing.”
One woman, who lives nearby on Clephane Road, said she can “no longer drive down the length of my road. If you can’t find a space, you have to go back onto the main road – It will basically mean that only rich people can drive. My friend is a nurse – she was commuting to work – and she’s waiting to see if she’s been fined.”
Canonbury residents have placed two orange traffic cones on the road to warn drivers. Meanwhile photos of vandalism of road-blocking planters, signs and cables continue to flood social media.
