Margaret Gibbs tests the time provided to cross the road

• THE terrible report of the death of a pensioner at traffic lights in Kilburn was, very sadly, an accident waiting to happen (Calls to increase pelican crossing times after pensioner dies in Kilburn High Road collision, February 22).

In West Hampstead Amenity & Transport (WHAT), we have been campaigning on this issue for many years.

We ask the logical question – why can’t crossing times be extended where there are obvious dangers? After much digging, we eventually got an answer. There is a national standard set by the government, which has been in existence for 60 years or so.

Transport for London sticks rigidly to this standard designing traffic lights. They gave us this statement: “The green time for pedestrians that TfL generally uses conforms with the DfT guidance of walking speed of 1.2 metres per second. The intergreen time when there is a black out period for all movements provides an additional safety element.”

If you do the math, 1.2 metres per second is 2.7 miles per hour – 3mph in round figures. How many disabled or very elderly people walk at 3mph?

Even for an able-bodied person, crossing four lanes of fast traffic on the upper end of Finchley Road is a terrifying experience, as the green man disappears when you are halfway across.

To be fair, Camden Council has been introducing “countdown” signs, which are a big help.

JOHN SAYNOR
Chair, West Hampstead Amenity & Transport