Some people have received letters about the installation of these cameras to estimate a vehicle's weight, which 'cross-reference details with the DVLA to issue penalty charge notices to overweight HGVs. Drivers will be made aware of the weight restrictions by advanced warning and envorcement signs in the area'. This sounds like excellent news for reducing congestion and pollution in the neighbourhood.
The letters are rather curious - they come from 'Haringey Labour', with the Labour Party logo, rather than from Haringey Council, and our local councillors knew nothing about it, as we learned at the Palace Gates Residents' Association AGM. It is also strange that the letter is undated, and no date is given for the installation of the cameras. Nothing would happen until the new year anyway, with election purdah, but sounds like it would be a great measure to campaign for, if it doesn't happen by other means!
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It's good that there is recognition that the existing ban on these heavy vehicles in our area needs to be enforced. But in the context of the massive amount of rat running this area has to bear, tackling only HGVs is really just tinkering around the edges and very unlikely to make a meaningful difference to the pollution problem. As for congestion, uncongested roads attract more traffic (e.g. Braess's paradox), so any measures to 'reduce congestion' will be self-defeating unless that measure tackles the root cause - excessive amounts of through traffic. Traffic reduction measures could also be used to deal with the HGV problem...
Ok, yes, I was being careless - reducing the amount of through-traffic is likely to be much more successful than attempting to reduce congestion. I hadn't heard of Braess's paradox...