Hostile Vehicle Mitigation Measures on Central London Bridges

Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM proposed, and Hina Bokhari AM seconded the following motion:

“This Assembly is concerned that Transport for London has paused plans to install permanent hostile vehicle mitigation measures on several central London bridges due to financial constraints.

This Assembly notes that in the conclusions of the inquest into the London Bridge terror attack in June 2017 the then Chief Coroner of England and Wales, Judge Mark Lucraft QC, emphasised the importance of permanent hostile vehicle mitigations and stated that “funding disputes between public bodies would not be a satisfactory reason for delay in the planning and installation work”.

This Assembly also notes that in his second report on London’s preparedness for a terrorist attack, commissioned by the Mayor of London and published in March 2022, Lord Toby Harris made clear that issues with installing permanent hostile vehicle measures on London’s bridges “should be resolved as swiftly as possible”.

This Assembly recognises that the current hostile vehicle mitigation measures on these bridges were intended to be temporary and will reach the end of their life if permanent measures are not installed swiftly. The temporary measures currently in place are encroaching into bus lanes, impacting cyclists, taxis and bus users.

This Assembly also recognises that the temporary measures on Tower Bridge have contributed to problems with drainage, which has led to significant cases of flooding.

This Assembly therefore calls on Transport for London, the Mayor of London and the Government to urgently work together to ensure funding is made available so that the previously planned permanent hostile vehicle mitigation measures can be completed without delay."

Following debate and upon being put to the vote, the motion in the name of Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM was agreed unanimously.