Bishop’s Stortford residents press for 20mph speed limit after three crashes

Residents living in and around London Road in Bishop’s Stortford are pressing highways authority Herts County Council to impose a 20mph speed limit after a spate of accidents.

An online petition has been launched by Sophia Adams Bhatti, the Stortford resident who is vying to become the Labour candidate for the Hertford and Stortford constituency at the next General Election.

She said: “Residents have been complaining about the speed on this stretch of the road for years. I’ve lived on the street for 17 years and the increase in accidents is alarming.

“The latest [on January 19] took out two cars. The one before took out two cars and the front of the Three Tuns pub, and the one before took out the crossing barriers and two cars.

“As residents, we are very worried that a junction with a pedestrian crossing used by so many children is becoming more and more dangerous.”

Mrs Adams Bhatti said that evidence showed reducing speed limits to 20mph saved lives and reduced collisions by up to 40%.

“Contrary to common misconceptions, this reduction does not cause congestion or significantly impact journey times,” she said. “By implementing this change on London Road, we will be taking a significant step towards ensuring the safety of our community.”

A copy of the petition, which currently has 237 signatures, will be sent to local Herts county councillor Calvin Horner (Lib Dem, Bishop’s Stortford East) and Mrs Adams Bhatti hoped to bolster the residents' case with data about other crashes.

To sign the petition, visit https://www.change.org/p/implement-a-20mph-speed-limit-on-london-road-bishops-stortford-to-save-lives.