Local residents and campaigners are demanding action to improve safety at the Tiger’s Head junction where Bromley Road meets Whitefoot Lane and Southend Lane.
Today they submitted a petition of over 200 signatures to London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon, who is chair of the Transport Committee at City Hall. The petition calls for the Mayor of London, who is responsible for the junction, to take urgent measures to improve safety at the intersection.
Caroline Pidgeon, who is supporting the campaign, said, "I have repeatedly asked the Mayor to improve safety at this junction, but he has completely failed to respond. When I invited him to visit the crossing, he simply dismissed the suggestion. Ken Livingstone, Boris Johnson and Transport for London should be ashamed at their broken promises over this junction dating back years. Now more than ever we desperately need urgent action to prevent any further accidents."
Local campaigners have fought a long-running battle with the current and previous Mayor of London to draw attention to the hazardous junction. Pedestrians are forced to cross the four-lane junction, which is the site of numerous traffic accidents, without the help of pedestrian lights, and vehicles must dart across on-coming traffic in order to turn right.
"We have been campaigning to improve safety at this lethal junction for years," says Cllr Pete Pattisson, Liberal Democrat prospective MP for the area. "Time and again we've asked the Mayor of London to tackle this intersection, and time and again he's ignored us. We were promised that pedestrians facilities would be improved back in 2004, but nothing has happened. I'm disgusted that pedestrians and motorists continue to be put at risk, while City Hall passes up excuse after excuse for inaction. This petition shows just how important the issue is to local residents and we'll continue to fight until the London Mayor listens."