THE speed camera on London Road in High Wycombe looks set to be switched off by a council - prompting fears over the safety of children.
A list of the ten speed cameras facing the axe has been released by Buckinghamshire County Council (see below).
The camera next to the Rye, which stands near the Crown House Preparatory School, is the only one in the Wycombe district on the list.
Frances Alexander, a former mayor of High Wycombe who lives nearby, said: “How many children will suffer because of this? I feel for the the ones that might get run over.
"With the camera out of action people will just ignore the speed limit. People were much more cautious in the way they drove since it was installed."
Trevor Snaith, a Wycombe District councillor for the Ryemead ward, said London Road is a “racetrack” in the evenings adding “the only respite is when people slowdown for the camera”.
The move comes after Buckinghamshire County Council’s funding for road safety was reduced by the new Government. Bosses also said the cameras had not had a strong enough effect.
Statistics show that in the three years before the camera was installed there were two people killed or seriously injured on that stretch of road, as well as 20 'slight injury crashes'.
During the last three years four people have been killed or seriously injured with 18 slight injury crashes.
Transport bosses said the ten sites were chosen after looking at the impact the cameras had on speed, and which removals were least likely to lead to increased collision rates.
Valerie Letheren, cabinet member for transport, said: “A considerable amount of analysis has taken place to ensure that decommissioning these sites will have the least impact in terms of casualty reduction.”
The cameras will not be removed instantly and there will be a phased programme of decommissioning these sites to minimise costs.
The council said it will also undertake surveys to determine whether speeds have increased and consider alternative solutions for these sites, such as vehicle activated signs or a community speedwatch programme.
The ten sites being considered for decommissioning are:
A413 Wendover Road, Aylesbury
A4146 Fenny Road, Stoke Hammond
A4146 Leighton Road, Edlesborough
London Road, Aston Clinton
Waterside, Chesham
A355 Green Man Hill/Beaconsfield Road, Farnham Royal
B470 Iver Lane, Iver
A41 Bicester Road, Kingswood
A412 North Orbital Road, Denham
A40 London Road, High Wycombe(both directions)
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