South London Community in Uproar Over Road Safety
More than 600 residents in Bromley have launched a passionate campaign to restore traffic calming measures on their residential road after several speed humps were removed during resurfacing works. The petition, titled "Make Hawes Lane Safe Again," has gathered significant local support amid growing concerns about speeding vehicles on the recently smoothed surface.
Residents Report Dangerous Speeding and Rat Running
Local campaign leader Gary Kent, who started the petition, claims Hawes Lane has become increasingly dangerous since the humps were taken out. Residents report regularly witnessing motorists travelling at speeds far exceeding the 30mph limit, with some estimates reaching up to 60mph.
"The road has become a rat run for drivers trying to avoid traffic lights on surrounding roads," explained one resident. The problem appears particularly acute at the stretch where Hawes Lane meets The Mead and Links Road, featuring two sharp bends that have nearly seen speeding cars crash into front gardens.
Young Families Fear for Children's Safety
The safety concerns are amplified by the presence of three schools in the immediate vicinity: Glebe School, Hawes Down Primary School and Riverside School West Wickham. Many Hawes Lane residents are young families who fear for their children's safety when crossing the road or playing nearby.
Resident Ann-Marie Butler revealed she regularly supervises her two young grandchildren crossing Hawes Lane even during daylight hours due to speeding concerns. "I am in a room at the front upstairs and sometimes you can hear them screeching round that corner," she said, describing nighttime speeding incidents.
Council Defends Decision Citing Cost and Emergency Services
Bromley Council has defended the removal of the speed humps, with Councillor Nicholas Bennett JP, Executive member for Transport, Highways and Road Safety, explaining it's been council policy for years not to replace humps after resurfacing. He stated they "impede the emergency services and cause vibrations to neighbouring properties."
The council also challenged residents' speed claims, calling assertions of 60mph traffic "fanciful" and noting that police speed checks found no vehicles exceeding the limit. Cllr Bennett emphasised that £60,000 of taxpayer money had been saved by not reinstalling humps across four roads, allowing more roads to be resurfaced.
Residents Propose Alternative Solutions
Despite accepting that speed humps likely won't return, campaigners hope the council will consider other traffic calming measures. Suggestions include speed limit reminders painted on the road surface and speed indicator devices (SIDs) that flash vehicles' current speeds to drivers.
Resident Andrew Rogers captured the community's frustration: "You almost wish they hadn't resurfaced it and left it with potholes because then people would have driven slower. Now you've just given them a nice, smooth surface to go up and down there."
As the debate continues, Hawes Lane residents remain determined to find a solution that balances road quality with community safety, insisting that the price of preventing even one accident outweighs any cost savings.
