London’s transport bosses and local councils have been urged to switch traffic lights off over night to help cut journey times and reduce pollution caused by car emissions.
Conservatives on the London Assembly suggest the move would cut vehicle emissions by ending cars sitting with engines idling at red lights and reduce delays by 2,251 hours every day.
They also claim drivers would see time and fuel savings worth £40m by 2020
The recommendation is contained in a new report published by the group today which calls on Transport for London and the capital’s local boroughs to pilot the proposal during daytime off-peak hours.
TfL is also urged to regularly review traffic lights on roads it controls “to see if any are redundant.”
Richard Tracey AM said: “Every year Londoners waste over 170 million hours sitting in traffic, costing London’s economy £4bn. Many of these journeys in our city are unavoidable.
“But rather than hurting motorists with ridiculous charges and taxes, we should look at innovative ways to cut congestion and make traffic flow more smoothly.
“Turning off traffic lights at night, like they do in parts of Europe and North America, is one measure which would boost the economy and help the environment.”
Editorial comment:
I have been an advocate of turning off certain traffic signals at night for many years. That was until TfL started to fill the night streets with untrained, unprofessional drivers, who spend most of their time looking at the screens on their smart phones or sat-navs, rather than looking where they are going. Drivers with scant regard to any road signage let alone traffic lights.
While there are many junctions that could be better managed and some would even benefit by having the lights removed, personally I believe it would be irresponsible and dangerous of TfL and the local councils to turn off all the signals at night regardless.
TtT.
Martin Hoscik MayorWatch URL: wp.me/pjXdQ-9nf
7 comments:
finally somebody used his brain!! well done! traffic lights at late night especially on weekdays are proper joke!
Conservatives on The London Assembly, eh?
Help cut journey times and reduce pollution ?
Seriously, what planet do these cranks actually live on ?
It ain't The Isle of Skye or County Mayo in Ireland they are referring to here !
It's central London, for Christ sake ! One of the most busiest and heavily congested traffic cities in the world. Day AND night!
And the answer to cut pollution and improve journey times is........Turn the traffic lights out !
Have they any idea how many more ambulances, paramedics and traffic police officers they would need as a result?
Can you imagine pulling out of Great Portland Street to get to the White House Hotel with no traffic lights ?
Or maybe coming from Kings Cross travelling to Euston with no Traffic lights ?
Are these ministers and "Transport Bosses" on cannabis or something ?
See what I mean? What chance have we or our trade got when you have ludicrous buffoons in positions of seniority, coming out with ideas like this?
Let's give it a trial shall we? The only people rubbing their hands together as a result will be bodywork repairers, stuntmen and the Co-Op Funeral parlours !
God help us ! Don't you worry what they will come up with next?
8829 Semtex
Help cut journey times and reduce pollution!!!
Increase the speed limit to 30mph.
I think this is a question of balance
For example, pedestrian lights go red even if nobody pushed the button! So these can be switched off
(Chelsea bridege rd for example)
Ban buses!
Rumour has it that Boris asked them
To do this to take the heat off him over über and the ULEZ
Red lights add an extra 20% to the meter , are these comments from addison lee drivers . No wonder the trade is finished .
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