17 Mar
In the wake of the Sarah Everard murder, there is a lot of discussion about the safety of women being out after dark. By completely removing any passing traffic from the residential streets in Walworth, there will be far less eyes (or dash-cams) to record what is happening. A number of women who live on the Brandon, now walk along the busy & polluted arterial roads, because they feel safer with the presence of motorists (standing still in traffic). The Brandon has had three gang related murders in the last four years, and numerous other non-fatal stabbings. Our streets are less safe for children & teens, with fewer eyes on the streets. Would you feel safer walking down a deserted street after dark, or a road with passing traffic? Are women & children now expected to just stay at home after dark?
Also with more residents being encouraged to cycle, this is putting more demand on Southwark to provide more cycle hangers, which are prohibitively expensive. A 6 bay cycle hanger costs the council £5,000, or £833 per cycle. In the middle of a pandemic when council budgets are under pressure like never before, now Southwark will have to sponsor cyclists to the tune of £833 each? To put these costs in context:
Based on the detail above, every 4.5 bike hangers costs the local taxpayer the same as the basic salary of a Met policeman for a year. Or 4.8 bike hangers costs the local taxpayer the same as the basic salary of a fully qualified nurse. Should the council be subsiding cyclists, or investing in our essential key workers?
The LTN’s are being rushed through with little meaningful debate, or proper consultation. There will be unintended consequences, and hopefully not at the expense of the liberty & safety of our women and children. This issue is not just happening in Southwark, but all over London – Here is an interesting piece from the BBC.
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