Safe Speed Forums

I've just recieved a reply from my MP for High Wycombe (a Conservative) in response to a query to a couple of speed camera questions, points 1 and 2 are especially intersting.
you'll have to excuse the butt kissing lower down but for an MP this bloke does give a sh!t and in my opinion is one of the good guys.



Dear Mr XXXX

Thank you for your email and for your congratulations. I think I remember speaking to you during the election campaign.

In answer to your questions:-

1) If the speed camera van is illegally parked it would surely qualify for a fixed penalty ticket.

2) As I understand it, Thames Valley Police and the Thames Valley Speed Camera Partnership take a different view over the legality of the parking of the mobile speed camera van, and I think that only a court could determine whose view is correct.

3) I will write to the Department of Transport with which, as you know, I have corresponded before on your behalf, in order to ascertain whether or not the speed camera on the A40 West Wycombe Road has been installed contrary to published rules and guidelines. I will let you know when I receive a reply.

Finally, you are or course very welcome to publish our correspondence. I hope all is well with you.

Regards



Paul Goodman



Dear Mr Goodman,



If I may, I’d like to start off by congratulating you on another fantastic election win for High Wycombe. We have spoken before by correspondence and in person, as such, I would be grateful for any time that you could spare obtaining information regarding my query.



I have spoken with Thames Valley Police regarding the mobile speed camera, that on most mornings, parks on Marlow Hill in High Wycombe, to carry out speed enforcement duties. The van in question, is parked on double yellow lines which are also situated outside a school entrance. Thames Valley Police have indicated to me that this van, although a Police vehicle, has no legal right to be parked in double yellow lines and as such are likely to speak with the speed camera partnership to reiterate this fact. I have also enclosed/attached some correspondence on this issue.



The speed camera partnership in previous correspondence, insist that the van is legally able to park at the said location, due to the school gates not being operational (padlocked) and that the double yellow lines do not include the pavement nor the driveway to the school. Such a statement clearly contradicts the Highway code and as such am concerned that a public body is providing misleading information. As such, would you be able to help with obtaining answers to the following questions please, (I will understand if you are unable to answer all of them)?



1: If as indeed, as I have been told, the speed camera van is indeed illegally parked, as this country does not yet have a ‘in the spirit of the law’ argument in place, would the Fixed Penalty Tickets that have been issued at this location be valid.



2: It would appear that the statement I have received (attached) from Thames Valley Speed camera partnership, a public body, could be deemed misleading and incorrect. Will the said body take any action to prevent such misinformation, whether by accident or not, being divulged to members of public whom provide a legitimate query?



3: Lastly, as per the attached newspaper article, the speed camera on the A40 West Wycombe road in High Wycombe, appears to have been installed contrary to published rules/guidelines as provided to camera partnerships by the Department of Transport. The guidelines (attached) in this case insist that the area within which the camera is placed has to have had 4 fatal or serious collisions within the 3 years prior to installation. It would appear from the partnerships own words, that this was not the case for this particular speed camera. Only after the installation were there 7 fatalities and a number of serious accidents. If as I am suggesting, the camera was misplaced and in fact has contributed to accidents, should this camera be removed forthwith?



http://www.safespeed.org.uk/handbook.html



http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/search/ ... t_rate.php





Lastly, having spoken with you in the past regarding your views on these cameras etc, I would like to refer you to the safespeed website



http://www.safespeed.org.uk



whom extend to tell the truth regarding speed cameras, this organisation is well known to many of your Conservative colleagues in a positive light. With you r permission I would like to publish any reply on this website, if you wish me not to do so, then you have my word that no reply will be published. As far as I know, not one of the arguments put forward by this organisation has been contradicted or found to be false by any of the bodies whom supposedly, are experts within the field of traffic enforcement and regulation.



Many thanks for your time Paul and once again congratulations on ensuring another Conservative victory for Buckinghamshire