How it can be achieved

PLACES WHERE PEDESTRIANS HAVE PRIORITY 

A new approach to creating pedestrian priority zones could follow common European practice. The variety of Swiss pedestrian priority zones (Begegnungszonen) that were studied in April 2026 included a historic town centre, at Solothurn, a through traffic road which operated as a 60metre long pedestrian crossing at Grenchen and a multi-use town centre road junction at Biel.

In each case, pedestrians used the full road space totally stress-free. Children, the elderly and those with disabilities, including the totally blind, were seen to be confident to use the road space in the knowledge that the rules on speed reduction and respect would be observed.

The current UK Home Zone rules need very little revision. The purpose of the zone and the rules for drivers are clearly stated in the Highway Code at paragraph 218: “You should drive slowly and carefully and be prepared to stop to allow people extra time to make space for you to pass them safely.”

In the light of twenty years’ experience of Home Zones, two matters need attention.

First, many locations where pedestrians would benefit by having priority are not exclusively residential. The application of a pedestrian priority zone needs to be wider.

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Secondly, traffic speed in a zone is currently reduced through various forms of traffic calming that tend to be through either expensive or ugly infrastructure. It appears essential that an appropriate speed limit for a pedestrian priority zone will need to be clearly stated and enforced. The Swiss examples studied all had a limit of 20kph, equivalent to 12.5mph.

Several semi or fully autonomous vehicles were seen to be obviously registering and complying with the speed limit. Drivers understood the rules and were careful to respect vulnerable pedestrians.

The priority given to pedestrians that we suggest, would apply at what is now the road. The existing pavement would remain as a clear, smooth and totally safe surface for vulnerable people.

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