The new action comes to one of north London’s busiest high streets.
Stoke Newington Church Street is set to see a complete clampdown on cars, lorries and vans in a bid to drastically reduce air pollution levels in the area. Moreover, it is hoped road safety improves as well as encouraging more walking and cycling around Hackney.
When new rules come into place on September 20, these vehicles will be banned from driving on the street between the hours of 7am-7pm.
Under these new measures access is to be restricted to buses, emergency vehicles and cars registered to blue badge holders, all of which will be permitted to pass through the “bus gate” close to the Red Lion pub. Any driver not adhering to this may be sent a penalty fine if they are caught on CCTV.
This scheme is funded by Transport For London and is to be trialled for 18 months, and is seen as a radical move to reduce traffic on a road of this scale. Nearby roads such as Orford Road and Francis Road in Waltham Forest already restrict vehicles, but not on a road of the size of Stoke Newington Church Street.
Mete Coban, Hackney’s cabinet member for transport, said: “Now it’s time to stop kicking the can down the road. Tackling the climate crisis starts local.”
Restrictions apply to both eastbound and westbound traffic, with warning signs being placed around the street to avoid drivers facing penalties.