Speeding report shows strong progress despite lack of government support

At a meeting of Environment and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee last night, a report on speeding traffic was presented to committee members. The report showed the positive impact of schemes like average speed cameras and the Community Speed Watch have had on speeding figures. Commenting on the report, Mayor Dave Hodgson said "Speeding traffic is so often raised as a major concern by residents I talk to across Bedford Borough. That's why we've taken real action to make our roads safer for everyone. We were the first place in the country to introduce average speed cameras on ordinary roads as an effective deterrent against speeding. I'm pleased this report demonstrates that the schemes are working and road users can feel safer."

The report outlines how in 2013, the Council became one of the first authorities in the country to install average speed cameras. The camera in Milton Ernest proved very effective in reducing the speed of traffic travelling through the village. In the year following the installation of cameras, the average speed of traffic out of the peak periods dropped from 40mph to 28mph. Since then the Council has installed average speed cameras in 25 communities across the Borough.

More recently the Council has worked with the Police to develop a Community Speed Watch scheme where volunteers are trained to operate Speed Indicator Devices to help tackle the problem further. In addition to the volunteers, the Council has also introduced a Community Speed Watch Vehicle fitted with speed awareness signs to deter speeding vehicles. The number plates of offending vehicles are then recorded and sent on to the Police.

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson Councillor Tim Hill said "I'm pleased that this Council continues to take speeding seriously. I know from talking to residents in my ward and across the Borough, that people are rightly concerned about this issue. As we can see average speed cameras are a fantastic way to bring speeds down. However, what frustrates me is that the Council doesn't receive a single penny from the speeding fines to invest back into road safety measures. Instead, the government hoards this money, failing to support Councils who are trying to make roads safer for all users. We know that the Mayor and the Council have lobbied for this, but the government have flat-out refused. If the government want to show it is actually committed to protecting the lives of road users, it should listen to the Mayor and the Council and allow us to reinvest in road safety."

Councillor Jon Abbott shared this frustration. He said "It is clear that installing these average speed cameras has a significant impact on speeds. However, due to years of underfunding by national government, the Police are incredibly stretched and are unable to monitor every camera all the time. This means if we install more of these devices, then a smaller proportion will be monitored unless the government gets its act together and takes road safety seriously."