• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

MayorWatch

London News and Comment

  • NEWS
  • Twitter

Greens: ‘Road spending cuts threaten safety’

May 12, 2011 - Martin Hoscik@MayorWatch

TfL operates a number of road safety schemes
Boris Johnson has been accused of threatening the capital’s record of reducing road accidents by cutting spending on safety schemes.

The claims were made by London Assembly Member Jenny Jones on the same day the Mayor hailed Transport for London figures suggesting road safety in the capital had improved “dramatically” over the past decade.

According to TfL’s figures, deaths and serious injuries on the capital’s roads have dropped by 57% over this period with the number of fatalities falling to 126 in 2009.

The number of incidents resulting in death or serious injury fell from an average of 6,684 a year “in mid to late 1990s” to 2,886 in 2010.

Welcoming the statistics, Mayor Johnson said: “London’s roads are now much safer than they were a decade ago and the Metropolitan Police, London Boroughs and Transport for London all deserve praise as other countries look to our lead.”

The Mayor added there was “still much more to be done, especially around the safety of cyclists on our streets, and that is exactly why we continue to fund road safety schemes across the Capital.”

Despite the successes, TfL’s own figures show that the number of ‘slight injuries’ – incidents recorded by the police but not requiring hospital treatment – had increased by five per cent since 2009. Over the 10 year period they are down 33 percent.

Jones, a former Road Safety Ambassador during Ken Livingstone’s Mayoralty and Green Party 2012 Mayoral candidate, said the increase in ‘slight’ incidents “is really worrying.”

Statistics published by City Hall’s Greens suggest the amount TfL and local boroughs spend on road safety fell from £58.8m in 2008/09 to 24.5m in 2011/12.

The Assembly Member claimed the increase provided “a clear link between cuts to the road safety budget and more road casualties. London has benefited from a dramatic fall in road casualties due to ten years of increased investment in measures such as 20mph zones which we know work. This record of success is now under threat”

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

RECENT UPDATES

Record number of candidates stand in London’s Mayoral election

TfL and Siemens unveil new Piccadilly line Tube train designs

852 new homes to be built in Acton by Transport for London

HGV operators in London urged to apply for a Direct Vision Standard permit




POPULAR

City Hall to move to Docklands as Mayor seeks to raise £55m for frontline services

‘Concern’ over TfL’s ability to deliver major projects in wake of Crossrail cost overruns

City Hall halts London Overground ticket office closures but many will still see opening hours reduced

Transport for London confirms bus cuts will go ahead despite passenger opposition

GOT A STORY?

As the original London news and scrutiny site we've been casting an eye over the capital's public services and politicians since 1999.

 

Many of our top stories started with a tip-off from a reader - if you've got something you'd like us to cover get in touch and we'll do the rest.

Stay In Touch

  • E-mail
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021 MayorWatch Publications Limited · MayorWatch is Registered Trademark · All Rights Reserved · Contact Us · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy

MayorWatch Publications Limited · 20-22 Wenlock Road · London N1 7GU · Company Number 6291816

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.