Making a Mountain out of Antill?

 

Application Date: 28/03/2022 | Launch Date: 28/03/2022

The MEOTRA inbox has had quite a bit of traffic related to the forthcoming Antill Road changes.

The key issue is that residents can't apply for an exemption permit until the day the scheme launches. MEOTRA have tried and tried to get this madness rectified by emailing and speaking to our councillors, the borough's executive Mayor, the council officer in charge of Liveable Streets and RingGo, the private company responsible for the permit scheme. We've even had our MP, Rushanara Ali, explaining it to residents on their doorsteps!

It doesn't seem to be through a lack of political will, but more a case of "Computer Says No". Whether that is a particular council officer's computer or RingGo's computer is something MEOTRA couldn't possibly guess, though RingGo do seem to manage to look after the details for some 16 million UK cars and handle over 2 million transactions a month without much problem.

The good news is that the council is giving everyone TWO WEEKS GRACE, so you won't get fined at the scheme launch. So I'd recommend putting a calendar reminder in your diary or on your phone calendar to apply sometime after the 28th of March. This is the link to the council page in case you've lost it.

And don't forget, even without a permit, the scheme still let's you drive to anywhere you want, though you might have to go around the houses a bit.

Today I found this snippet from an old MARCH 2000 newsletter, which gives an idea of how long rat-running through our area has been discussed:

"Rat-Running in Mile End Old Town

Since the opening of the M11 link, MEOTRA has viewed with growing concern the increase in traffic that is cutting through our area from Mile End Road up to Tredegar Road and, in particular, the speed at which some vehicles go along our streets.

We are tackling this problem on two fronts. Firstly, we have written to Tom McCourt, Head of Traffic at Tower Hamlets, suggesting a number of kerb extensions to narrow some streets down to single lanes, so that cars must slow down. We are not in favour of speed bumps as these cause considerable noise, particularly for those poor residents who have to live by one! . . . Both MEOTRA and the Antill Road Residents' Association, who are also suffering from rat-running, raised the following points:

• there is a significant build up of traffic along Grove Road

• the junction of Mile End Road/Grove Road/Burdett Road is becoming increasingly dangerous (the death of a young cyclist there at the end of last year highlights this)

• lorries and vans are speeding through the area, with no regard for school children who walk in our area

• vehicles are turning right at the bottom of Tredegar Road into Coborn Road which is both illegal and dangerous

• and the obvious one of increased traffic through our area"