Signs advising motorists of a 20mph speed restriction on London’s Tower Bridge may fall foul of traffic regulations.
Three drivers who have received penalty notices have challenged the legality of the signage, and will appear before Marylebone Magistrates Court on 19 May. They will argue that the 20mph speed limit signs, designed to alert motorists to the restrictions, are not clearly visible and therefore breach the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002.
A 20mph speed limit was introduced in the 1970s on the famous London crossing, due to fears over structural vibration to the bascules. But the limit was never properly enforced until cameras, operated by the ~City of London~ police, were installed on gantries at either end of the bridge in 2004.
A spokesman for the RAC Foundation said if the judge found for the three it would be ‘hugely embarrassing’ for the police. He said: ‘They have been given a full hearing, so there must be some basis to the challenge.
‘This would not be like a challenge on a camera that was faulty on a particular day and time. It would mean every fixed-penalty issued on the bridge would be illegal.’ The spokesman referred to the case of a Lincolnshire police officer who successfully challenged a speeding ticket after arguing it was wrong under the same 2002 regulations. A spokeswoman for the City of London police offered no comment.