The Transport Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Wandsworth Borough Council was scheduled to meet on 20 November 2025 to discuss the Putney Bridge junction, delivery riders, and the committee's work programme. The meeting was to be held at Wandsworth Town Hall, and a live webcast was scheduled to be available.

Putney Bridge Junction

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on changes to the Putney Bridge, Lower Richmond Road and Putney High Street junction, as well as the Putney Bridge Road and Putney High Street junction. These changes, which took place in late 2024, were the final part of a wider scheme to improve Putney High Street that began in 2017.

The report pack included a review of the junction changes by AECOM, which found a significant increase in cyclists and pedestrians using the junction since July 2021, and that fewer pedestrians were crossing on red lights. The report also noted that signal timings did not match the original proposal approved by Transport for London (TfL).

The report detailed actions taken to improve the junction's operation, including updated lane layouts, increased enforcement of loading restrictions, extended bus lane hours, and amended signal timings. Further planned changes included trialling the suspension of the southbound bus lane outside the Odeon Cinema, installing double yellow lines, reassigning lanes outside Putney Station, and suspending the permitted left turn for cyclists from Putney Bridge Road onto Putney High Street.

The report pack explained why reverting to the old junction layout was not an option, stating that it would not meet current design standards and safety requirements set by TfL. It also addressed concerns about congestion on side roads, noting that traffic surveys had been commissioned and data was being analysed.

The report pack also included summaries of feedback from residents and user groups, including the Putney Action Group (PAG), Wandsworth Cycling Campaign, and Wandsworth Living Streets.

Data on road safety and air quality in Putney was included in the report, with air quality having improved greatly in recent years.

The report pack also contained traffic data for Putney and nearby bridges, compiled by the council, and traffic signal timings for the signal junctions.

Delivery Riders

The committee was scheduled to discuss a report on delivery riders in Wandsworth. The report noted the increasing presence of delivery riders on the roads and the challenges this brings for national and local government, private companies and employers.

The report pack stated that the paper would concentrate on food delivery riders in the gig economy who operate as self-employed contractors, using digital platforms to find flexible, short-term work. It would focus specifically on motorcycle, moped, e-bike and cycle riders who do not have a nominated place of work but who wait on the streets in the borough between receiving requests to pick up deliveries.

The report pack noted that while many riders value the flexibility of choosing when and where they work, the work commonly involves low pay and income instability, a lack of employee benefits, and significant pressure to deliver quickly. This pressure can contribute to unsafe practices, including riders congregating in places that cause congestion, unsafe riding practices, and the illegal modification of vehicles.

The report pack referenced a June 2025 report by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking, entitled Unregulated and Unsafe; The Threat of Illegal E-Bikes, which identified issues such as battery fires caused by unregulated conversion kits and exploitation of gig economy riders.

The report pack also referenced a November 2024 joint report entitled Hot Wheels. Working lanes for working people: food delivery on London's roads, which made several recommendations of interest to local authorities, including introducing scrappage schemes for affordable e-bikes, accelerating measures to reduce road danger, consulting directly with delivery workers, introducing kerbside strategies to support safe working environments, and introducing mandatory data sharing agreements.

The report pack suggested potential areas of work for the council, including improving access to affordable vehicles, improving cycle infrastructure, addressing problems caused by vehicles and riders occupying contested highway space, greater engagement with delivery riders, and addressing rider behaviour and enforcement.

The report pack noted that the council had already supported delivery companies, businesses and riders in helping to address local problems, including Southside/McDonalds setting aside covered space, the relocation of riders in Tooting Town Centre, and initiating greater monitoring of riders in Tooting Bec.

Transport Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to discuss its work programme. The report pack stated that effective work programming is essential for the success of the Wandsworth Overview and Scrutiny Committees, and outlined proposed changes to the OSC Work Programmes.

The report pack stated that to inform their work programme, the scrutiny committees could access a variety of information sources, including performance information, finance and risk information, corporate complaints information, the Forward Plan of Key Decisions, and reports from ombudsmen.

The report pack stated that the objectives for the Wandsworth Overview and Scrutiny Committees through work programming should include improving services, policy endorsement, pre-decision scrutiny of Cabinet Decisions, gaining insights, and horizon scanning.

The report pack outlined criteria for inclusion in the work programme, including the benefits of scrutiny, the method of scrutiny, desired outcomes, and engagement with decision-makers.

The report pack included Cabinet responses to previously submitted Key Lines of Enquiry, and a table outlining the proposed work programme for the committee, including agenda items for upcoming meetings.