MOTORISTS face whopping £130 fines for driving over 20mph under a new plan being introduced by a London council.
Wandsworth council is launching a pilot scheme in which the local authority, rather than the police, will issue speeding fines.
Once the initiative is up and running, drivers will be fined if they break the 20mph limit on two busy residential roads, where residents have lodged several complaints about speeding cars.
The new powers, which will last for up to eight months, will see the fine going directly to the council, rather than into a central Government pot.
The penalty charge will be cut from £130 to £50 if paid within 14 days and offenders will not receive license points.
Any money received from fines will be ringfenced to be reinvested in local road safety schemes.
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The plan is reportedly designed to support the Met Police with the enforcement of speeding offences, rather than replace it.
The plans will be reviewed and, if deemed successful, could be rolled out across London.
Around half the streets in the capital have a 20mph speed limit.
Councillor Simon Hogg, the leader of the council, said that speeding is one of the biggest sources of complaints from residents.
He said: “Ensuring drivers stick to the 20mph limit not only improves safety levels and encourages more people to walk or cycle, it helps reduce harmful emissions too.
“Until now, only the Metropolitan Police have had powers to enforce speed limits, but they tend to concentrate their resources on main roads and dual carriageways, whereas most of the complaints we receive are about people driving too fast along quieter residential streets.”
He added: “Our pilot scheme will focus on two residential roads where excessive speeds are known to be an issue.
“If judged a success, we will look to make it permanent and carry out enforcement in other parts of the borough where we know vehicle speeds are excessive.”
The new plans have been approved by London Councils, the body which represents all 32 local authorities in the city.
However, not everyone is happy with the idea, with a spokesperson from the AA saying: “Speeding should not be treated like a parking ticket.
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“And speeding enforcement should not become ‘fishing trips’ to secure money for councils.”
TFL recently announced that, by March 2023, all roads within London’s congestion charge zone will have a 20mph limit.
