Transport for London (TfL) has declined a request from the Royal Borough of Kingston to ban left turns from the A3 into Fullers Way North, citing concerns over the safety and performance of the surrounding road network. While the specific safety concerns that prompted the request are not detailed, TfL's response indicates that the primary concern is the safety and performance of the nearby road network as a result of re-routing of traffic.
TfL representatives were scheduled to attend a question and answer session at the Surbiton Neighbourhood Committee meeting on 15 July 2025, where the issue was discussed. A statement from TfL, dated 27 June 2025, was published as a supplement to the agenda pack.
TfL's primary concern is that a banned turn would negatively impact the Kingston Bypass (A3), Tolworth Roundabout, and Kingston Road (A240), which form a busy part of the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN). TfL believes this network already operates at full capacity during peak hours and is sensitive to changes.
According to data collected by the Royal Borough of Kingston in October 2024, 431 vehicles turn left into Fullers Way North during the morning peak (8:00-9:00), and 474 vehicles turn left during the afternoon peak (17:00-18:00). TfL believes that the majority of this traffic has a destination within the survey zone, such as the Red Lion Road area, rather than immediately passing through.
TfL's statement notes that alternative routes are limited due to the lack of a connection between the A3 eastbound and Hook Road. As a result, most traffic would likely attempt to re-route via Tolworth Roundabout, which already operates at capacity during peak hours. Survey data from October 2024 indicates that the A3 eastbound slip road onto Tolworth Roundabout reaches maximum queues of 300m during peak hours, extending the full length of the available slip road.
To accommodate an additional 400 vehicles through the A3 off-slip stop line would require 12-14 seconds of additional green time each cycle of the signals. TfL believes that changing signal timings at the roundabout to accommodate additional vehicles would be very disruptive both to general traffic and to bus services.
If the proposal to ban the left turn were to be taken forward, the TfL statement indicates that it would require detailed traffic modelling assessment to fully understand the reassignment of traffic, the journey time changes for buses and traffic using Tolworth Roundabout, and an exploration of highway/junction changes to mitigate these concerns.
Other concerns raised at the RSPG meeting in September 2022 included the potential impact on the safety of cyclists due to increased turning movements into Red Lion Road, and a possible increase in drop-off/pick-up activity at the parade of shops at Hook Rise North.
TfL concludes that the left turn into Fuller's Way North is used by over 400 vehicles per hour in the morning and afternoon peak, and that this flow cannot be accommodated through the nearby A3 eastbound slip and Tolworth Roundabout, which already operate at capacity. If the proposal were to be taken forward, it would require detailed traffic modelling assessment to fully understand the reassignment of traffic, the journey time changes for buses and traffic using Tolworth Roundabout, and an exploration of highway/junction changes to mitigate these concerns. The full statement from TfL is available in the Supplement to Agenda Item 6.
