Transport for London has agreed to intervene and investigate concerns over a temporary 40mph speed limit on the A20 Sidcup bypass, which saw thousands of drivers incorrectly fined.
Last week, Deputy Mayor for Transport Seb Dance agreed to look into claims that thousands of drivers were fined due to incorrect signage during a 12-month period ending in October 2024.
The investigation follows a motion passed by the London Assembly, with Conservative Assembly Member Thomas Turrell claiming that "thousands of drivers" received fines due to TfL not properly implementing the temporary speed limit.
The 40mph restriction was put in place on the A20 at the Sidcup bypass between October 2023 and October 2024 in a bid to stop dangerous driving.
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TfL agreed to look into the A20 Sidcup bypass issue which saw drivers fined for breaking the speed
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Turrell raised the issue at a City Hall meeting, explaining how many affected drivers felt put off by TfL.Hestated there were "a lot of unanswered questions" around the temporary speed limit.
The London Assembly motion claimed that incorrect signage had been installed in the area by TfL while the temporary speed limit was in place.
The transport authority previously stated the temporary measures were added due to flooding issues and that an unauthorised 50mph sign was illegally placed on the road for a short period in January last year.
A TfL spokesperson said this incorrect sign was "immediately replaced with the correct 40mph signage" once they became aware of it.
Dance responded to Turrell's concerns at the meeting, saying: "I am very happy to do that. We're clearly aware of the level of interest in this, and right from the very beginning, we have been working to see whether the correct practices were followed."
He added that his understanding was that the correct procedures had been followed, noting there is an ongoing Crown Court case related to the issue.
According to reports, it's estimated that 60,000 drivers were hit with penalties when the speed limit was reduced from 70mph to 40mph during a period of severe weather.
Turrell claimed that TfL deliberately installed smaller signs measuring just 450mm wide, instead of the mandatory 900mm specified in regulations. However, TfL has strongly denied this claim, insisting all signage was fully compliant with regulations.
The temporary speed reduction was implemented after dangerous flooding on the A20 caused multiple vehicles to skid off the road, with one car sliding into a nearby petrol station.
Officials had identified blocked roadside drains as the source of hazardous flooding conditions along the stretch of road.
A TfL spokesperson previously explained: "New regular speed limit signage, compliant with all traffic sign regulations, was installed to ensure that everyone driving on this stretch of road was aware of the new limit. All other signage installed for the lower speed limit was correct and compliant with the regulations."
UK law states that the minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and three penalty points added to a driving licence. In some cases, drivers may have the option to attend a speed awareness course instead.
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Drivers can be fined £100 for speeding in the UK PADance acknowledged the issue but said there would be "limits on what I can say" due to the ongoing Crown Court case.
Motoring lawyer Nick Freeman, who is also known as "Mr Loophole", supported the claims by Turrell stating the signs put in place by TfL were "definitely too small" and that "obviously, if they're tiny, the motorist can't read them".
