Islington Council is introducing a trial 3.5t weight restriction on heavy goods vehicles in Drayton Park to reduce congestion and improve air quality for local residents thanks to a new smart camera.
This new 3.5t virtual weight restriction is the first of its kind on Islington and London. Work begins today, with the4 enforcement starting on 29 March. The existing 7.5t lorry ban in place within the surrounding streets of Highbury West will remain in place.
The move comes after concerns were raised by residents about the amount of HGVs using the Highbury West area as a through-route. The restriction will operate on a 24/7 basis creating a safer, more sustainable environment.
New ground-breaking technology allows the smart camera to identify a vehicle by its metric size before predicting its weight category. The camera, also linked to the DVLA will then confirm the actual weight before a decision is made to issue a penalty notice.
Signs notifying drivers of the lower weight restriction will also be installed at every entry point to the Highbury West and East areas which have a through-route to Drayton Park, ensuring HGVs are not entrapped. For more information please see www.islington.gov.uk/DraytonPark.
Cllr Claudia Webbe, Executive Member for Place & Environment said: “We’re committed to reducing the number of lorries on our residential streets to clean up the air we breathe and provide more space for walking and cycling; we’ve listened to the concerns of local people who want cleaner, safer and quieter streets.
“Drayton Park is known as a major pinch point for through traffic, including big lorries, and this pioneering trial with a smart camera will reduce congestion and also cut emissions caused by these HGVs within a residential area.”
“We are going further by extending our lorry ban, which currently applies to vehicles 7.5 tonnes and over to also include a ban on all vehicles 3.5 tonnes and over. If our trial is successful we want this enforcement approach to apply to residential streets borough-wide”
“We will constantly monitor the impact of the camera enforcement and welcome feedback throughout the trial period to see whether further changes are needed.”
The weight restriction is being introduced under an Experimental Traffic Order and will stay in force for up to 18 months while the effects are monitored. Traffic data and feedback form the public will be closely monitored throughout the trial period. If successful, it will be made permanent with the possibility of more weight restriction cameras being used rather than physical barriers.
