The coming into force of the new ULEZ (ultra-low emission zone) in late August could lead to rat-running in the already congested streets of Harrow, warn Harrow Lib Dems.
The reason for this is many secondary routes into and through the borough are not covered by enforcement cameras. Some, driving non-compliant vehicles will be tempted to try their luck and find a way past the cameras. As a boundary borough, Harrow could be a magnet for those from Hertfordshire and beyond.
The picture above shows the junction of Honeypot Lane with Wembrough Road and Whitchurch Lane. Local campaigner Laurence Cox says: “We think that these ULEZ cameras have only been installed on main roads where there are traffic lights at junctions, such as Honeypot Lane (A4140) and Kenton Road (A4006). There are a few cameras at light-controlled pedestrian crossings such as on the A410 just to the east of the foot of Clamp Hill but otherwise not at junctions where there are roundabouts. This is only going to encourage rat-running as drivers go through residential side roads to avoid the cameras.” This, of course, assumes there are no more cameras further in that could pick up non-compliant vehicles.
Liberal Democrats on the GLA support cleaner air but opposed the speed at which the ULEZ extension to the boundary of Greater London was brought in and the pitiful compensation levels for poorer drivers to upgrade their vehicles, but the proposal was nevertheless steamrollered through by the Labour Mayor, Sadiq Khan.
If you see these cameras, let us know where they are located, so we can check if our thinking is correct (see the list and sketch map below). Also if you have views on the way ULEZ is being introduced please let us know by emailing chair@harrowlibdems.org . These are the locations we already know about:
Cameras at junctions (cameras at junctions are not necessarily on all arms of the junction)
Cameras at pedestrian crossings
Other cameras
Others are also publishing locations of ULEZ cameras, for example here, but the locations are not always accurate.