Although London Mayor Boris Johnson declared it `` a triumph for British engineering , Japanese innovation and good old common sense '' , it was noted that a fairly similar crossing in Balham , South London had previously opened in 2005 at a cost of # 98,000 , approximately 50 times cheaper .
The Mayor of London , Boris Johnson , said it was `` a triumph for British engineering , Japanese innovation and good old common sense '' . Others noted that a similar crossing in Balham , South London had opened in 2005 at a cost of only # 98,000 .