[holding answer 20 May 2008]: I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the traffic census in Rochester Row and in Warwick Way was conducted on 14 May 2008 not by police officers but by agents acting on behalf of Transport for London (TfL).
This was part of a continuing traffic survey held at multiple sites over the week commencing 12 May 2008. Police officers were present to stop vehicles and direct their drivers to the survey points.
The information collected will help in the future planning process and policy development by enabling TfL to assess such issues as the impact of the central London congesting charging scheme on traffic levels, the demand for car parks in central London, the effects of road works on traffic flow and the effects of fuel cost increases on traffic levels.