It’s All A Big Misunderstanding

Council defends CCTV saying motorists should learn rules of the road

There has been much criticism directed at Hounslow Council for their use of cctv cameras situated on Turnham Green Terrace to monitor drivers dropping off and picking up passengers in the area around the tube station.

One resident believes that it is “only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed along this stretch due to the council’s policy of strict enforcement of CCTV, which appears to be giving no regard to safety or the requirements of the community; instead it seems intent on raking-in hundreds of thousands of pounds from residents who are simply trying to drop off friends or loved ones at the station in the safest possible manner.”

However, Cllr Peter Thompson has defended the cameras stating that it is not them but motorists’ “considerable misunderstanding around the rules of the road concerning the picking up and dropping off of passengers” that is to blame.

He told ChiswickW4.com, “It is permissible to drop off or pick up passengers on a waiting restriction (single or double yellow lines) and in any shared use bay as long as it is done so without any undue delay, this includes loading/ unloading baggage.

“In respect of Turnham Green Terrace, this essentially means that motorists can use the majority of Turnham Green Terrace for this activity including the lay-by directly outside the tube station. It is, for obvious reasons, not permissible to stop on the white zig zag lines or bus stop to do so as these areas are reserved for specific reasons, likewise the footpath.”

He continued, “I have asked the borough engineers to re-look at the layout of this stretch of carriageway with a view to considering if any re design can be done to accommodate a specific "Drop Off Bay" somewhere in the vicinity of the Tube Station entrance, however, the proximity of the station to the nearby junction presents difficulties and equally moving the Bus Stop may not be ideal either, that is not to say that we cannot at least try.

“In the interim, I would remind motorists of my comments above in respect to the bus stop and zig zag lines.”

January 28, 2009