More Action to Tackle Speeding and Make Local Roads Safer - Average Speed Cameras

As I've written here before, there is no issue raised with me more frequently by local residents than speeding on local roads. This applies in both urban and rural areas, with speeding being the number one issue raised during my summer 'Village Tours' over the past two summers. That's why we're taking real action to actually bring speed down on local roads, especially residential streets, to make them safer for pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and all road users. First, we carried out a speed limit review, which saw around thirty speed limits reduced on local roads, primarily in rural areas (see this link for more: speed limit review). Now we are introducing new average speed cameras to ensure that effective, targeted enforcement takes place to really make our streets safer for people of all ages.

We have been in negotiation with Bedfordshire Police for some time about the introduction of average speed cameras, and we will be one of the first areas in the country to benefit from their effect in bringing speeds down over a wider area. These 'safe zone' cameras will represent an improvement on the existing fixed cameras as they record average speeds between particular locations, and are much easier to maintain and to locate in areas to tackle speeding 'hotspots' where safety is a major concern.

Communications from the cameras is wireless which means that the cameras can easily be relocated around the Borough on existing lampposts. The first location to have the cameras installed will be Milton Ernest, where community speedwatch volunteers recorded high levels of speeding, and other locations will follow.

We mean it when we say we are committed to real action to bring speeds down and make our local roads safer for everyone, and we feel the new cameras will have a very positive effect, in addition to the existing work to bring speed limits down where necessary.

Deputy Mayor Cllr Charles Royden was interviewed about this on ITV Anglia News last week, and you can still catch the video report online here: http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/update/2012-05-15/bedford-drivers-face-new-speed-cameras/