Residents fight for speed humps to be put back

Neighbours say they regularly see drivers breaking the 30mph speed limit

Hundreds of residents in south London have launched a campaign to reinstate speed humps on a resurfaced road, claiming its smooth, straight surface has enabled speeding.

Since they were removed on Hawes Lane in West Wickham last year, drivers are regularly breaking the speed limit according to residents, who say some drivers were reaching 50mph (80km/h).

They have set up a petition, Make Hawes Lane Safe Again, to call on Bromley Council to introduce traffic-calming measures. It has now attracted more than 600 signatures.

The council said not reinstalling the speed humps after resurfacing had saved taxpayers money, and dismissed claims of cars hitting top speeds as "fanciful".

But Andrew Rogers, who lives nearby, said: "I bring my kids home and people are bombing it up there at 50mph.

"You almost wish they hadn't resurfaced it and left it with potholes because then people would have driven slower.

"Now you've just given them a nice, smooth surface to go up and down there."

Hawes Lane, in West Wickham, was resurfaced last year

Residents have also warned the bends where the road meets The Mead and Links Road were problem areas, with some drivers failing to slow for the sharp turns, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Nicholas Bennett, Bromley's executive councillor for transport, highways and road safety, said the council had long avoided reinstalling speed humps after resurfacing as, he said, they hinder emergency services and cause vibrations to nearby homes.

"Claims by one of the organisers of the petition that cars are going at 60mph in Hawes Lane are fanciful," he said.

"As one of the local councillors for West Wickham, I have carefully monitored the road myself and at the local Safer Neighbourhood Panel request, the police carried out speed checks, and no vehicles were exceeding the speed limit."

He added that most of Hawes Lane had no parking restrictions and parked cars provided the "best form of restriction on any motorist tempted to exceed the speed limit".

But Campaign leader Gary Kent said: "I'm sure I've seen some go at 60, but by saying that he's making us look like we're idiots that think all cars are speeding at 60.

"We're not saying that. One or two do, I've seen it, but it's very difficult to judge [how fast a car is going] but it's not 30, and it's somewhere between 30 and 50."

'Make Hawes Lane Safe Again' campaign leader Gary Kent says the road is now dangerous

Mr Bennett said as each speed hump costs about £2,000 to install, the council had saved taxpayers £60,000 by not reinstating them on four roads.

In response to Mr Bennett's statement, resident Pamela Tooney said: "We are taxpayers aren't we?"

She added: "What is the price of one accident?"

Campaigners said they were beginning to accept that the speed humps were unlikely to return, but hoped the council would consider alternative traffic calming measures instead.

Their suggestions include painted speed limit reminders or the installation of speed indicator devices which alert drivers to how fast they are travelling.