London Mayor Sadiq Khan is facing mounting criticism following a court ruling that found a speed limit reduction on the A20 near Kent to be unlawful. The decision has cast a shadow over an enforcement campaign that reportedly issued around 100,000 speeding tickets, with drivers and campaigners accusing Transport for London (TfL) and the mayor of misleading the public and unfairly penalizing motorists.
The legal challenge was initiated by John Abbott, 78, who contested his January 2024 speeding conviction. A judge at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court ruled that the temporary 40mph speed limit, which had replaced a 70mph limit, was unlawful from its inception. The court found that TfL had not properly authorized the speed limit reduction, and that its legal department had been aware of this issue as early as 2024. Despite this ruling, Mayor Khan and TfL have resisted calls for an inquiry, refused to overturn convictions, or refund fines and penalty points issued under the contested limit.
Critics argue that the small, often poorly placed, temporary speed limit signs were easily missed, especially by drivers accustomed to the higher speed limit. Many drivers, including sofa salesman Jamie Foster and consultant anaesthetist Dr. Subha Bagchi, received multiple tickets despite having clean driving records. Foster, who received four tickets in a single week, stated that accepting the penalty points would have led to losing his job due to a driving ban.
The A20 Justice Alliance, co-run by victims John Dunlop and Coleen Blackburn, has been instrumental in gathering evidence and campaigning for justice. Dunlop, an energy firm businessman, highlighted discrepancies in signage, noting that temporary speed limit signs should be 900mm wide according to Department for Transport guidelines, but TfL used smaller signs, sometimes only 450mm wide and placed on one side of the road. He also pointed out that the flooding issue, cited as the reason for the speed reduction, was a result of TfL's own failure to properly maintain drainage systems for over a decade.
Mayor Khan, who has previously introduced widespread 20mph speed limits and the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) charges, has been accused by Conservative MP Gareth Bacon of waging a "war on drivers." A motion at the London Assembly calling for an independent inquiry into the A20 affair, initially vetoed by the mayor, was recently passed with cross-party support.
A spokesperson for the mayor defended the enforcement, stating, "It is incorrect to suggest that the Mayor or TfL misled anybody in relation to these fines, and TfL remain confident that enforcement of the speed limit here was necessary given the safety risks." TfL further claimed that drains on its roads undergo annual cleaning, with the regime enhanced to six-monthly in 2023 for the A20 stretch, coinciding with the speed limit reduction.
Despite TfL's assertions that the Crown Court appeal does not set a precedent, many affected drivers feel they are left to challenge their penalties individually, facing potential job losses, increased insurance premiums, and financial hardship. Dunlop and Blackburn are planning to appeal their convictions at Crown Court next year, seeking the removal of penalty points and a full investigation into the matter.