Safe Speed Forums

More people could die and be seriously injured on Bedfordshire's roads as a result of slashed funding for speed cameras next year.

That is the grim prediction contained in a report to the county's police authority, which belongs to the body which runs cameras across the area – the Bedfordshire and Luton Casualty Reduction Partnership.

The report warns that due to a national shake-up in the way safety partnerships are paid for, Bedfordshire could next year see a "reduced level of offences detected and possible increase in the number of killed and seriously injured."

Currently, money raised by speeding fines in Bedfordshire goes to the Government.

The partnership claims back all its running costs, including equipment, staff and publicity, with Whitehall retaining any surplus cash.

From next April, the partnership will instead be funded by grants paid to its two local authority members, the county council and Luton Borough Council.

But this only adds up to £2.34 million – well below the £2.75 million the partnership needs to operate.

And the new grants are for road safety in general – they do not have to be spent solely on running the speed camera network.

The police authority report says this new arrangement "has reduced dramatically" the level of funding available.

And, faced with other money worries, it is set to drop a plan to help make up the shortfall with £300,000 of its own money.

Police authority treasurer, Alan Williams, said: "We would need to find that money from the mainstream police budget, but what we are saying is that this isn't anything to do with the police authority, because it comes from changes in Government funding.

"You are going to get a lesser service with less support staff, and that does have a consequence."

Bedfordshire Police Authority is facing a £2.63 million hole in its books for the next financial year.

Cutting the money earmarked for casualty reduction would cost five police posts, although the officers cannot be made compulsorily redundant. Four civilian police staff jobs would also go.

The partnership's cameras raised £3.66 million in 2003-04 from 60,920 fines, according to figures released last year by the Department for Transport.

Bedfordshire's operational costs ate up £2.29 million, leaving a surplus for the Government of around £1.37 million – the sixth highest in the UK.

The figures also showed a 73 per cent fall in deaths and serious injuries at camera sites, making Bedfordshire's cameras the most effective in England.

Partnership spokesman Caryl Jones said: "The deployment of safety cameras in the county's worst collision trouble spots has made an important contribution to the reduction in road casualties in our area.

"There is a commitment to maintain the good results achieved with whatever funds are available."

Has anyone ever looked into the accounting of an SCP? It would be interesting to see where they spend the money.

Yes, we can be sure of a squeeze. But a squeeze is nowhere near enough. There are far too many individuals and organisations who are 'addicted' to speed cameras. There's going to have to be cold turkey and rolling heads before we can get road safety back on track.

Maybe. but now the have to share the funding with other organisations they are going to have to justify their spending "internaly" as well. this has never happened before. I think the the dismantling will happen quickly. Be prepared for EVERY SCP bleading heart story in the media over the next few weeks. Lets see how many friends they actualy have.

Maybe. but now the have to share the funding with other organisations they are going to have to justify their spending "internaly" as well. this has never happened before. I think the the dismantling will happen quickly. Be prepared for EVERY SCP bleading heart story in the media over the next few weeks. Lets see how many friends they actualy have.

I wonder how they'll explain away the lack of a skyrocketing number of deaths after their funding is cut...

For most SCPs I doubt there will be any job losses -

Cutting the money earmarked for casualty reduction would cost five police posts, although the officers cannot be made compulsorily redundant. Four civilian police staff jobs would also go.

In surrey bike safe has already been told there are no funds for 2007. This is depsite the fact that each rider pays 50 quid for the day AND the run leaders do the day free of charge!

Now the gravy train has officially ended I think the PR voice will start to dissipate.

The figures also showed a 73 per cent fall in deaths and serious injuries at camera sites, making Bedfordshire's cameras the most effective in England.

And here it is, black and white, no room for interpretation: the link between the drop in KSIs at camera sites and the effectiveness of cameras.

There is no doubt at all that RTTM has a significant effect on the perceived effectiveness – no one disputes that. So given statements like these, how on earth can the SS detractors keep up their efforts without also targeting the SPCS for dishing out this kind of nonsense?

If these people do not also start targeting the SCPs for such obvious fallacies then it is difficult to believe that their motives are not for the common good.