Safety concerns after green man crossing times are cut in Hounslow

Safety fears have been raised after it emerged green man times have been cut at 26 pedestrian crossings in Hounslow.

People now have just six seconds while the green man is flashing to start crossing at 568 sets of lights across the capital, following a review by Transport for London (TfL).

Among them are a number of major crossings in the borough of Hounslow, including lights in Brentford and Hounslow High Street, and Chiswick High Road.

Members of the London Assembly transport committee highlighted the reduced times on Friday last week after quizzing senior TfL officers about road safety.

Sixty-nine pedestrians were killed on the capital’s roads in 2012, up from 58 in 2010, latest figures show.

However, the number of pedestrians killed or seriously injured on London’s roads has fallen by eight per cent over the past eight years and early indications suggest the 2013 figure will be down on the previous year.

Valerie Shawcross, who chairs the transport committee, described the increase as a ‘great concern’.

“It reverses more than a decade of improved casualty rates and we would expect TfL to be taking a proactive approach to building an evidence base to explain this worrying trend,” she added.

The committee also heard concerns from campaign group Living Streets that short crossing times were putting some people off walking.

A TfL spokesman told the Chronicle it had only changed the crossing times at certain locations in line with national standards after its own research, carried out in 2009, suggested it would have no significant impact on safety.

He said: “We continue to monitor all roads across London to ensure that they remain as safe as possible for all road users and the long-term trend in a reduction of pedestrian KSIs shows that we continue to build on the solid progress made by TfL, London’s boroughs and the police to make our roads safer for all.”

He added that the green man time had in most cases only been reduced by one or two seconds and there was still a significant ‘blackout’ time for people to continue crossing while the lights remained red for drivers.

Satish Dutt, chairwoman of Hounslow Seniors Trust, said she was not aware of reduced green man times having adversely affected people, but the matter would be raised at the next Hounslow Pensioners Forum meeting.

Feltham and Heston MP Seema Malhotra said: "At a time when we need to be encouraging people to walk more in their local areas to stay fit and healthy, we shouldn't then be seeing changes that make roads feel less easy to cross, especially those near our local shops where people go to buy daily groceries.

"I am concerned that the elderly and those with young children will feel less safe crossing the roads across Hounslow. Pedestrians shouldn't be an afterthought in (London mayor) Boris Johnson's road strategy."

SECONDS OUT (where green man time has been reduced in Hounslow)

Junction of Kew Bridge Road and Chiswick High Road, Brentford

Junction of Acton Lane and Chiswick High Road, Chiswick

Junction of Chiswick Lane and Chiswick High Road, Chiswick

Junction of High Street and Ealing Road, Brentford

Junction of High Street and Half Acre, Brentford

Junction of Sutton Court Road and Great West Road, Chiswick

Junction of Lampton Road and Great West Road, Hounslow

Junction of Great West Road and Vicarage Farm Road, Heston

Junction of Great South West Road and The Parkway, Hounslow

Junction of Great Southwest Road and Faggs Road, Hatton Cross

Junction of Twickenham Road and Worton Road, Isleworth