The council claims that these road closures are to aid a cleaner greener streets initiative with the aim of reducing air pollution and promoting other forms of transport. However, whilst the fortunate 'few' living on the newly closed streets are enjoying pollution free air now, the 'many' living on the other streets taking the significant additional traffic burden are more polluted than ever and suffering vastly increased congestion at various different times of day.
Additionally, anyone who has no choice but to drive (due to work, disability, familial life, lack of public transport alternatives etc) are being penalised by having to endure significantly increased journey times due to sitting in standstill traffic jams.
After weeks of regular gridlock on East Dulwich Grove and Dulwich Village (and no sign of any let up) during morning and early evening hours (even before schools went back), the notion that these schemes require time to 'bed in' has become untenable. The situation will very likely get worse as more and more people go back to work and the remaining schools open.
At the same time as these road closures have been rolled out, no new investment in local public transport links have been announced to help ease the pressure. In fact bus services (such as the 12 route) have been reduced.
Low emmisions schemes are proven to reduce air pollution across the capital far more effectively than any road closure ever has (as has been demonstrated by the ULEZ).
Surely the rollout of the ULEZ to within the south circ next Oct should be given time to work before any other drastic measures such as road closures are considered?
And we would ask the council to consider that pollution spread
evenly across all streets in the area is a far fairer approach than
to concentrate it on a few unfortunate resident's streets.
Logic dictates that vehicles moving freely around the borough using
all available roads results in less congestion. Concentrating all
vehciles to a choice few roads will obviously cause more congestion
- and often gridlock. This in turn causes vehicles to idle for long
periods of time resulting in a greater level of air
pollution.
The scheme is not working and should be reversed immediately.
On reaching 500 signatures The issue will be discussed at a Cabinet meeting
This ePetition ran from 05/10/2020 to 21/12/2020 and has now finished.
3009 people signed this ePetition.