TfL Reject Calls For A Safer Romford Crossing Despite Residents Concerns And Regular Accidents.

Transport For London have rejected calls for a safer crossing on Mawney Road, after two Romford Councillors highlighted resident concerns and regular accidents. 

Councillors David Taylor and Keith Prince have twice written to TFL, requesting that they review the pedestrian crossing where Mawney Road meets the A12. The councillors raised their concerns after a number of residents flagged near-misses, with the junction not providing any safe crossing. 

Residents can currently cross the A12 itself, using a pedestrian crossing to halt the traffic flow. However, crossing Mawney Road requires pedestrians to dash across the busy road and ‘perch’ on an island in the middle. Traffic often flows off of the A12 at high speed and there have been a number of accidents with vehicles hitting the central island and, recently, another careering off the road and into bushes near the pedestrian crossing. 

Havering Council identified Mawney Road as suitable for safety improvements, following a traffic study which identified cars regularly travelling at 50mph. The road contains a busy school and large trees can often obscure drivers view of pedestrians. The A12 end of the road also hosts a community hall, a church, and an Aldi, which are regularly used by residents from across the Mawneys area.

TFL previously reported that, in a 36-month period up to June 2021, 18 collisions were reported. None were reported as ‘involving pedestrians’, but local Councillors and residents say that it is only a matter of time. 

Councillor David Taylor said; 

“I have been contacted by residents, reporting near misses, on a number of occasions. Crossing Mawney Road, close to the A12, just isn’t safe. 

Vehicles travelling on the A12 are moving fast, and regular speeding of 50MPH on Mawney Road suggests that they continue driving that way after turning off. 

TFL’s own data is reporting an incident every 2 months, we shouldn’t wait until one does involve a pedestrian in order to make things safer. 

I will continue to press TFL to make this junction safe, before someone is hurt”. 

Keith Prince, London Assembly Member for Havering and Redbridge said; 

“Even today at the Transport Committee TfL are gaslighting the public claiming safety is top of their agenda. But the reality is that under this Mayor nothing has improved. The measure of Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI) for 2024 was, as published by TfL 3961, still above the level when Mayor Khan took office. In spite of his vision Zero aspirations last year dispute trying to massage the figure 170 of these were by a bus 

Every single life lost is a tragedy and this Mayor needs and TfL needs to step up and make the improvements that are necessary to prevent these avoidable deaths and injuries

Leaving junctions like this unsafe is irresponsible”. 

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