The scheme is being undertaken by Kent County Council and funded by Sevenoaks Town Council with aims of improving road safety. Oliver Leader De Saxe reports
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00:00A sign of things to come.
00:0224-hour signs like this one are set to become a more common sight on the streets of Sevenoaks
00:07from next week as the rollout begins ahead of new speeding restrictions in October.
00:14This means new restrictions on residential streets, schools and even in the town centre.
00:19Funded by Sevenoaks Town Council, the scheme is being implemented by Kent County Council
00:25after years of consultation.
00:28Local representatives hope the restrictions will reduce collisions on the road
00:33and help the environment.
00:35The new 20 mile an hour scheme for Sevenoaks is going to make Sevenoaks safer,
00:38cleaner and greener. It's going to do that by reducing speeds across the town so there's much
00:42less likelihood of accidents. It's going to reduce fuel consumption and make the town
00:46more tranquil. It's going to improve accessibility to the town because the slower speeds give people
00:52more confidence to walk and to cycle. So for our ageing population it's going to be easier
00:56to cross the road and safer to cross the road and for our youngest population it's going to be
01:00safer to travel to school by means other than a car.
01:04While there are a handful of roads in the town centre that are excluded,
01:08the majority of Sevenoaks will see new restrictions,
01:13largely based on the number of traffic accidents that have occurred in the area.
01:17A survey conducted last year by the town council found 66% of almost 2,500 responses
01:26supported the 20 mile per hour limit in residential and school areas.
01:31But with a population of 22,000 in the town, we hit the streets of Sevenoaks to find out
01:37if those views were shared by passers-by on the high street.
01:41Yes, I think so. As long as it's observed,
01:45even if you're going to cross the road, they're going so fast. So I think it's a good idea.
01:52I don't agree with it being as widespread as they are because I commute into Sevenoaks every day
01:57and it's sometimes difficult to get in in time because of the traffic etc.
02:03Despite signs cropping up from the 12th of August, life in the slow lane won't begin in
02:09earnest until the 1st of October, when restrictions will be enforced. With months to go until then,
02:16residents have time to adjust to a different pace of life.
02:20Oliver, Leader of the Sats for KMTV in Sevenoaks.