Successful monthly speed watch
I’m very pleased that our, now regular, speed watch events are a success. We are going out monthly on the 3rd Saturday of the month to observe speeding drivers in Bow West. All interested volunteers are welcome to join us, just let me know if you’d like to come and I will let you know where we are meeting.
So far, we have caught drivers along Roman Road and Old Ford Road. In future we will be observing along Tredegar Road too.
How does speed watch work?
While we are observing, we write down the details of the drivers caught speeding. They will be sent a letter by the police warning them that they were caught. If they are caught more times, drivers receive progressively more severe notices and then fines.
A drop in the ocean!
Speeding is a huge problem in Bow West and this monthly event is a very small initiative to improve the situation.
To resolve the issues, consistent speed enforcement along roads such as Roman Road, Old Ford and Tredegar is needed.
These roads see huge volumes of traffic driving through the area to get to/from central London and motorways. Drivers seem to think that Bow is just another place to quickly speed through rather than a destination in itself.
Peak-time congestion on these main roads encourages drivers to find short cuts through residential side streets, which they speed along, causing accidents and creating an unsafe atmosphere for residents and especially children. Off-peak traffic speeds across Bow increase significantly, especially in the evenings. That this behaviour goes unchecked is simply unacceptable.
I share the concern of many residents that it is only a matter of time before someone is killed or seriously injured along one of the poorly policed roads in Bow West. Of particular concern are stretches of Old Ford Road and outside primary schools such as Chisenhale, Malmesbury and Olga.
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