Transport for London has confirmed that an “average speed camera system”, believed to be the first of its kind to be used in the UK, will begin operating between Canning Town and the Goresbrook Interchange on the A13 from January 31st.
TfL officials say the new system will “help reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries” on the road which has seen more than 400 collisions since 2007. In a statement TfL said it hoped the camera would reduce collisions “by around 30 per cent”.
Introduction of the cameras follows an agreement with the Metropolitan Police and local borough councils.
The new system will replace existing fixed and mobile safety cameras currently deployed along the stretch of road.
84 cameras, based at 37 locations, will monitor the speed of vehicles as they drive along the Canning Town to Goresbrook Interchange section of the A13. If the average speed for a vehicle along the stretch of the road they drive along is above the speed limit, the owner of the car will be issued with a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) by the Metropolitan Police.
Ahead of the start date, the speed limit will be raised from 40mph to 50mph on the section of the A13 to the east of the Canning Town Flyover and the Goresbrook Interchange in the London boroughs of Newham and Barking & Dagenham.
David Brown, Managing Director of Surface Transport at TfL, said: “Road safety in the Capital is something that the Mayor and TfL take extremely seriously and this new average speed camera system along the A13 is not only a first for London, but a first for the UK.
“Once active, the upgraded safety camera system will help significantly reduce the number of collisions that occur along this stretch of road, resulting in fewer serious casualties and reduced collision-related traffic congestion in the local area.”
