If you were caught speeding on the A20 between Sidcup and Swanley while its temporary 40mph limit was in force, from October 2023 to October 2024, your fine may now be open to challenge. Kingston Crown Court ruled in October that the traffic order behind the limit was unlawful, because the TfL manager who signed it didn't have the authority to do so, and it overturned the conviction of Kent driver John Abbott. The Telegraph estimates more than 66,000 drivers were fined, but the ruling doesn't automatically cancel anyone else's penalty, and TfL says it will fight further appeals.
A standard speeding penalty is a £100 fine and three points, and the camera at Crittall's Corner caught so many drivers that some ended up with bans after racking up several tickets in a matter of weeks. One driver told Kent Online he collected nine tickets in two months, lost his licence and his job, and saw his insurance jump from about £900 a year to more than £3,000.
Why was the A20 limit cut to 40mph?
TfL brought in the 40mph limit in October 2023 after surface water flooding on the Sidcup bypass led to a number of serious incidents, and it says the risk was a threat to life. The normal limit came back in October 2024 once drainage work and resurfacing were finished. Drivers also complained at the time that a 50mph sign was left uncovered on the same stretch, which added to the confusion.
What did the court decide?
During Mr Abbott's appeal, the court was shown an internal TfL document from 2022 setting out which officials could change speed limits, and the manager who signed the A20 order wasn't on it, so the order and every fine issued under it rested on shaky ground. The court accepted that the TfL witness had acted in good faith on legal advice, and a Crown Court ruling doesn't bind other courts, so each case will still need to be argued.
What are the claims against Lord Khan and TfL?
The Telegraph reported on 1 November that TfL staff knew in 2024 that the manager wasn't on the authorised list, and that Mayor of London Lord Khan didn't launch the independent investigation the London Assembly voted for in February 2025, by 16 votes to three. Conservative MPs Laura Trott, Louie French and Gareth Bacon have written to the Mayor asking how drivers can have convictions overturned, points removed and fines refunded, and the Assembly's Conservative transport spokesman, Thomas Turrell, called it "an almighty motoring miscarriage of justice".
The Mayor's office and TfL both reject the claims. The Mayor's office said it was "incorrect to suggest" that he or TfL misled anybody, and that the traffic orders were made lawfully, while TfL said any suggestion that evidence was withheld is false and that enforcement was necessary given the safety risks. Responding to the Assembly in May 2025, the Mayor said TfL was looking into the concerns raised. The Met Police said it hadn't colluded with TfL to hide evidence.
Can you get your A20 speeding fine refunded?
Not automatically, and there's no official process yet. If you were convicted in court, you may be able to appeal, but appeals normally have to be lodged within 21 days, so anyone outside that window will need the court's permission, and it's worth speaking to a motoring solicitor before you do anything. If you accepted a fixed penalty, you weren't convicted, and there's currently no route to a refund, which is exactly what the MPs have asked TfL to set out.
Keep your notice of intended prosecution, any payment receipts and anything that shows what it cost you, such as higher insurance quotes, because you'll need them if a refund or compensation scheme is ever set up.
Our verdict
Nobody is arguing that a flooded dual carriageway didn't need slowing down, but if you're going to fine tens of thousands of people under a temporary limit, the paperwork behind it has to be right. Until TfL or the courts set out a proper route for everyone else, drivers who were fined are stuck appealing one case at a time, which is a lot to ask of people who have already lost money and, in some cases, their jobs.