The Government has stepped in to block Wandsworth Council from attempting to enforce a 20mph speed limit in its borough.
The council is now in 'ongoing conversations with the Department for Transport (DfT) to try to save the initiative.
As covered exclusively in Highways, experts had raised concerns about the scheme early on suggesting that the way the authority was aiming to use its powers to enforce speed was 'unlawful'.
Now the DfT has also argued it is unlawful and stopped the authority from contacting drivers caught breaking 20mph limits, as well as has asking the DVLA to stop sharing details of drivers caught speeding under the scheme with the council.
A DfT spokesperson told reporters: 'Wandsworth Council is carrying out this experimental speed enforcement trial using powers in a way that is unlawful. We have therefore taken immediate action and asked DVLA to stop sharing registered keeper details with Wandsworth Council for the purpose of enforcing this scheme.
The abortive trial was launched in November 2022, made the south London borough the first in England to attempt speed enforcement.
The trial was to run on two roads, with an initial warning letter to drivers after they were detected exceeding the 20mph limit and then a civil penalty for each further infringement.
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