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Traffic calming? Humps do nothing for anyone’s nerves
• TO add to the recent debate about speed bumps, these so-called traffic-calming measures do nothing but add disturbance and danger to our roads (Get over the humps, May 16). Living next to one of these devices, I can confirm they do nothing to calm an area but cause noise disturbance 24 hours a day as cars, buses and trucks hit the bumps. In our case we often get structural movement through the house, which is causing damage to the fabric.
Even at night what were once quiet roads become noisy as vehicles brake, then accelerate again or just hit the bump full force, which causes the most disturbance. Similarly, on a bus the occupants often have to hold on when the vehicle is thrown around as the driver negotiates a bump – just travel down Hemingford Road on a 153 and try it.
This is particularly difficult for old people, standing passengers and those with prams or luggage.
Islington’s green policy ignores the evidence that speed bumps increase fuel usage by about 25 per cent as vehicles brake and accelerate again to negotiate them. So while Islington planning is trying to make residents become more energy efficient it happily encourages traffic to waste energy and leave more pollutants on our streets.
There are lots of ways of making streets safer for pedestrians and cars, but speed bumps are among the most wasteful and inefficient of all.
Many other councils across the country have actually removed them. Are Islington councillors brave enough to follow? I doubt it. Far better to spend money on lawyers fighting motorists trying to get recompense.
It is estimated there are 1,600 speed bumps in Islington and they are said to cost £7,000-£10,000 each so one has to ask if this £1.6 million could not have been put to better use in the borough.
RAVINDER DHILLON
Crossley Street, N7
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