Danger of ULEZ causing more rat-running
The coming into force of the new ULEZ (ultra-low emission zone) in late August could lead to rat-running in the already congested streets of Harrow, warn Harrow Lib Dems.
The reason for this is many secondary routes into and through the borough are not covered by enforcement cameras. Some, driving non-compliant vehicles will be tempted to try their luck and find a way past the cameras. As a boundary borough, Harrow could be a magnet for those from Hertfordshire and beyond.
The picture above shows the junction of Honeypot Lane with Wembrough Road and Whitchurch Lane. Local campaigner Laurence Cox says: “We think that these ULEZ cameras have only been installed on main roads where there are traffic lights at junctions, such as Honeypot Lane (A4140) and Kenton Road (A4006). There are a few cameras at light-controlled pedestrian crossings such as on the A410 just to the east of the foot of Clamp Hill but otherwise not at junctions where there are roundabouts. This is only going to encourage rat-running as drivers go through residential side roads to avoid the cameras.” This, of course, assumes there are no more cameras further in that could pick up non-compliant vehicles.
Liberal Democrats on the GLA support cleaner air but opposed the speed at which the ULEZ extension to the boundary of Greater London was brought in and the pitiful compensation levels for poorer drivers to upgrade their vehicles, but the proposal was nevertheless steamrollered through by the Labour Mayor, Sadiq Khan.
If you see these cameras, let us know where they are located, so we can check if our thinking is correct (see the list and sketch map below). Also if you have views on the way ULEZ is being introduced please let us know by emailing chair@harrowlibdems.org . These are the locations we already know about:
Cameras at junctions (cameras at junctions are not necessarily on all arms of the junction)
- Junction of Uxbridge Road and Elm Park Drive, Pinner
- Imperial Drive, in front of Rayners Lane Station
- High St. Wealdstone, junction with Locket Road
- Kenton Road, junction immediately to the east of Kenton Station
- Kenton Road, junction with Kenton Lane
- Kenton Road, junction with Charlton Road
- Honeypot Lane junction with Cumberland Road
- Honeypot Lane junction with Whitchurch Lane
- Marsh Lane junction with London Road
- High St. Edgware, junction with Whitchurch Lane
- Brookshill, junction with Clamp Hill
Cameras at pedestrian crossings
- Streatfield Road just to west of Honeypot Lane
- Uxbridge Road just to east of Brookshill
- High Road, Harrow Weald just to south of College Avenue
- Kenton Lane just to west of Belmont Circle
- Stonegrove, just south of the junction with London Road
Other cameras
- Uxbridge Road, gantry just to west of Brookshill
- Wood Lane, just to east of junction with Warren Lane
Others are also publishing locations of ULEZ cameras, for example here, but the locations are not always accurate.
