The measure will be introduced on 8.9km of main roads including Victoria and Albert Embankments, Millbank, Tower Hill, Blackfriars Road and Borough High Street. A 20mph limit will also be placed on Aldgate Gyratory on the boundary of the Congestion Charge zone.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the move would “protect people walking and cycling and other road users in the busiest part of the capital”.

TfL’s interim director for vision zero – the initiative to eradicate deaths and serious injuries on the roads – Stuart Reid added: “Lower speeds save lives. Many of London's boroughs are already leading the way on safer speed limits and introducing 20mph in central London will deliver consistently safer roads regardless of which road authority is responsible for them.”

It is also proposed to raise the height of pedestrian crossings in seven high risk central locations. Following the initial implementation of 20mph limits, monitoring will be carried out to determine whether further action is needed to reduce speeds.

Campaign group 20’s Plenty for Us’ London co-ordinator Jeremy Leech commented: “The combination TfL proposes of 20mph limits coupled to changes in road design and new traffic calming, greater police and camera enforcement plus the opportunities that speed limiting technology now offers is starting to deliver safer streets in London, especially for all those who are walking and cycling.”

Road safety organisation Brake’s director of campaigns Joshua Harris also welcomed the plans. He said: “20mph limits give drivers more time to stop to avoid a crash and also make our streets more welcoming places to be, encouraging people to choose to walk or cycle rather than get in a car.”

However London Assembly Transport Committee chair Florence Eshalomi urged the Mayor to go further and think about areas outside of the Congestion Charge zone. “It is not acceptable that we are still seeing deaths on London’s roads because of drivers not obeying the speed limit,” she said. “This is a start from the Mayor and TfL and more needs to be done to protect pedestrians and cyclists.”

In addition to its proposals for the Congestion Charge zone, TfL is aiming to introduce lower speed limits across 150km of its roads in many of London’s other town centres and at high risk locations.

(Photograph: Alastair Lloyd)