Transport for London (TfL) has finally published its report [pdf] on safety improvements outside East Putney Station – six months after the public consultation closed and four months since a woman was killed at the very crossing the scheme sought to fix.
But in a decision that defies logic, TfL has now shelved its plans indefinitely, citing the ongoing police investigation into her death as the reason it cannot proceed.
The proposed changes included relocating a pedestrian crossing, widening footpaths, and replacing a drop-off point with a taxi rank. Putney residents were consulted between January and March 2025 and the report was published last night, but rather than signal progress, it has delivered paralysis.
A safety consultation focused on traffic habits
The original consultation asked how the proposals might affect how people choose to travel. TfL received 360 responses, including nine from stakeholder organisations.
In its report, TfL emphasises that in each transport category – cycling, public transport, and private car use – the largest group of respondents said the proposals would have no effect on their travel habits. That framing is now hard to reconcile with what followed: a woman fatally struck by a vehicle on 19 May at the exact junction the scheme was meant to improve.
The message seems to be: because people didn’t think it would change how they travel, TfL feels under no pressure to act, even though the consultation’s stated goal was to make conditions safer for pedestrians.
After the crash, another delay
The report acknowledges the fatality but tries to avoids any link between the incident and the proposals. Instead, it says that TfL cannot make a final decision until the police investigation is complete. No timeline is offered.
“Following our consultation, a fatal collision occurred on 19 May 2025 near East Putney Station. This remains an active police investigation, and while this is ongoing, we’re unable to make a final decision on how to proceed with these proposals.”
This delay adds yet more time to a process already stretched far beyond what most residents would expect. The consultation closed on 3 March. The death occurred in May. The report appeared in mid-September. And now, there is no action; only a promise to “review the police findings” at some unspecified point in the future.
Separate upgrade but not until 2026
The report does mention one planned change. After “concerns were raised by local stakeholders,” TfL says it has worked with police to identify pedestrian safety improvements at the Carlton Drive junction where the elderly woman was killed. These are said to be separate from the consultation scheme and “aim to be completed by early 2026.”
It is not clear what these improvements are, or how they differ from the original plans, which included a reconfigured crossing at that exact location.
TfL says it will write to all consultation participants once a final decision is made. In the meantime, the junction remains unchanged.
This is not the only area where TfL’s handling of the situation is questionable. Putney.news submitted a Freedom of Information request back in July asking when the consultation report would be published, whether the fatal incident triggered any internal reviews, and what impact it had on decision-making.
Under FOI rules, a response is due within 20 working days. TfL missed that deadline on 27 August and gave itself an extension until 23 September – only to quietly publish the consultation report on 10 September.
By delaying its FOI response, TfL has so far avoided answering direct questions about its internal handling of the death. It has not provided any detail about what reviews took place, what discussions were held, or how close it came to implementing safety improvements before the crash occurred.
The bigger picture
The situation in East Putney is not an isolated one. Across London, TfL has been criticised for long delays between consultations and action – often taking more than a year to publish results or make decisions. A different Putney.news investigation currently underway shows that delayed reports and stalled schemes are becoming increasingly common across the capital.
In this case, the delay has come with tragic consequences. A safety consultation about improving pedestrian conditions has resulted in no changes, even after someone lost their life.
TfL says it remains committed to its Vision Zero goal – eliminating all deaths and serious injuries on London’s transport network by 2041. But in this report, it has effectively ignored the death of a pedestrian at a crossing already known to be unsafe. If Vision Zero means anything, it must start with this: when someone dies, we act.
Read the full consultation report: East Putney Improvements – TfL [pdf]
This was a badly thought out proposal in the first place which would have created a bottleneck. TFL had no idea there are existing cycle paths, didn’t realise that the bus stop opposite Waitrose would block traffic, nor realised that by widening the path, the builders merchant wouldn’t be able to take deliveries and would make turning right from Carlton Road impossible. Good riddance to it.