Fifth of Buckinghamshire speed cameras face removal (From Bucks Free Press)

Fifth of Buckinghamshire speed cameras face removal

5:48pm Tuesday 3rd August 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(7)

A FIFTH of fixed speed cameras are set to be removed in Buckinghamshire, it was announced today – as it was revealed only 10 per cent are working.

Ten cameras look set go after Buckinghamshire County Council’s funding was reduced by the new Government. Bosses said they had not had a strong enough effect.

There are 51 fixed cameras throughout the county. The name of the sites have yet to be released.

Roads boss Councillor Valerie Letheren today said: “We have done a survey of all our cameras, 51 static cameras, and there are 10 of them which we don’t think are really effective so we are going to remove them.

“Of the others, we will keep them for the time being. I think to turn the lot off isn’t a very wise thing to do as a knee jerk reaction.”

An opposition councillor today (Weds) branded the move 'illogical' and said it would make county roads more dangerous.

In a statement today (Weds), Cllr Letheren said: "These locations will not be announced until after our next meeting with the Thames Valley Safe Road Partnership on August 10th.

"Further work is needed, including detailed safety assessments to determine which locations these may be."

It comes an online poll by the Free Press found most who voted were in favour of removing cameras.

Some 52 per cent, 250 readers, said all should be removed and 14 per cent, 66, said they should be mostly removed.

Some 23 per cent, 108, said all should be kept and 11 per cent, 54 said they should be mostly kept.

Cllr Valerie Letheren

Casualty rates had influenced the decision to axe some cameras, she said.

She said not all of those which are kept will have live cameras in them.

It comes after we reported today that bosses refused to release how much cash each camera has made because it would show which are switched off (see link, bottom of story).

Cllr Letheren, cabinet member for transportation, said: “They won’t all have cameras in them, only ten per cent have cameras in them. We are not saying which ones.”

She said road safety funding had been cut by 40 per cent and this meant less cash had to go to the Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership, which manages cameras.

Oxfordshire County Council axed all its funding last week, meaning all Oxon cameras were switched off on Sunday.

She said: “The agenda has moved on. We will be discussing with the police the ways of reducing the amount of money we pay to the partnership.

“We will be encouraging police to do speed enforcement with mobile cameras but we will be putting priority more on villages.”

This would involve residents working to get vehicle activated signs to warn of speeding, she said. They can also record speeds with a gun, though these do not lead to fines.

There are 64 mobile cameras in Bucks.

But Cllr Michael Brand, Liberal Democrat spokesman on BCC, said: "It is illogical if you want to promote road safety."

Blaming Government cuts, he said: "The amount of money saved will be disproportionate to the increase of risk on the roads.

"In a perfect world drivers should obey the speed limit. Cameras have proved an effective deterrent that contribute to road safety."

A council spokesman said the move would need to be signed off by a majority of members at the Conservative-controlled council on Thursday and would be consulted on.

Click the links below for related stories and a map of existing camera sites.