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Swindon Scraps Use Of Fixed Speed Cameras
Tue, 04 Aug 2009

Fixed speed cameras in Swindon, Wiltshire, have been ditched as part of a "fresh look" at tackling road accidents in the area.

Swindon borough council, a conservative-run borough, deactivated the five pole-mounted devices on Friday and plans to reinvest the £320,000 a year maintenance costs for the five cameras in other road safety measures such as car-activated warning signs.

Tory councillor Peter Greenhalgh said: "In Swindon we are developing a reputation for challenging the status quo and being at the forefront of new thinking."

"Our sole aim is to find new and more effective ways to reduce road accidents within our current budget."

"At the end of the day all these devices do is take pictures of people breaking the speed limit, they're not actually managing the speeds and they're not educating people."

The councillor added: "Not only have our partners responded positively to the removal of fixed cameras, they've also led in reshaping the road safety partnership into a model that's attracting interest from elsewhere."

However, the move has angered road safety groups and campaigners who have accused the council of putting people’s lives at risk.

Brake, the national road safety charity, said it "wholeheartedly opposes this reckless decision", while the move has also been condemned by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents .

Helena Houghton from Brake said: "By removing speed cameras you are removing a deterrent. They are crucial in lowering death and injury rates."

While all fixed cameras have been scrapped, motorists have been warned that Wiltshire Police will continue to operate mobile speed cameras across Swindon .
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