Politics · United Kingdom · 1 hr ago
Court rules A20 speed limit reduction unlawful as drivers seek refunds
Transport for London cut the A20 limit from 70mph to 40mph on an eastbound stretch near Sidcup, before the road enters Kent.
Speed cameras installed in 2023 led to an estimated 100,000 drivers being fined, and some say they did not notice the small signs.
In September, a Crown Court judge quashed John Abbott’s speeding conviction, ruling the temporary restriction had been unlawful from the start.
The case matters because drivers received fines and licence points under a limit that had not been properly authorised.
TfL and Mayor Sadiq Khan say the enforcement was justified on safety grounds, but TfL has refused to cancel other convictions or issue refunds.
Khan has also rejected calls for an inquiry, and the dispute remains unresolved.
A Crown Court judge ruled that the temporary 40mph speed limit on the A20 near Sidcup was unlawful from the start.
The ruling quashed John Abbott’s speeding conviction after he challenged the way the limit had been introduced.
The article says an estimated 100,000 drivers received tickets after cameras were installed on the road in 2023.
Transport for London and Mayor Sadiq Khan have refused calls to overturn convictions, clear licence points or refund drivers.
Campaigners say drivers should be compensated, while the mayor and TfL say the enforcement was justified on safety grounds.
- Who
- Drivers fined on the A20, including John Abbott, are seeking redress. Mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London are resisting calls for refunds and other action.
- What
- A judge ruled the temporary reduction of the speed limit from 70mph to 40mph was unlawful. Drivers are seeking refunds and the removal of convictions and licence points.
- When
- Cameras were installed in 2023. Abbott’s conviction was quashed in September, according to the article.
- Where
- The eastbound A20 near Sidcup, before it leaves south-east London and enters Kent.
- Why
- The judge found that TfL had not properly authorised the speed-limit reduction. The article says drivers were ticketed by cameras after the limit was reduced.
A20 drivers and campaigners
Mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London
Refunds and convictions
A20 drivers and campaigners
Drivers and campaigners say the unlawful limit means convictions and fines should be overturned and refunded.
Mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London
Khan and TfL have refused to overturn convictions, remove licence points or refund drivers.
Safety justification
A20 drivers and campaigners
Campaigners argue the tickets resulted from an unlawfully imposed speed limit and signs they considered too small to notice.
Mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London
Khan and TfL say the tickets and fines were justified in the interests of safety.
TfL installed cameras on the eastbound A20 near Sidcup.
John Abbott was convicted of speeding on the A20.
TfL’s legal department had been told that the speed-limit reduction was not properly authorised, the article says.
Judge Sarah Bergstrom quashed Abbott’s conviction and ruled the temporary speed restriction unlawful.
- Speed limit
- Reduced from 70mph to 40mph
- Location
- Eastbound A20 near Sidcup
- Cameras installed
- 2023
- Estimated tickets
- 100,000
- John Abbott’s conviction
- Quashed by Judge Sarah Bergstrom
- Typical penalty reported
- £100 fine and three licence points
What people are saying
the temporary speed restriction was unlawful
no properly directed magistrates' court could safely convict
let's wait and see what the Crown Court judge concludes