Safe Speed Forums

Auto Express this week .. Sorry . should have posted up .. go take a quick browse before Wednesday.


Paul's prediction was right by the way. He forecast this last year when it was announced that the prats would not be keeping cash to spend on new scams. but that it would go back to Treasury and the LA's would get "pocket money to spend on road safety".


Pah.. It's a bit like me telling my two youngest villainous rogues (aka sons) to buy lettuce leaves and not some sweety with their pocket money. (Aside.. kids have not changed.. they still buy sherbet flying saucers and penny chews )

Auto Express says they called over 100 councils to ask how they spent this grant.

Improved junctions .. nope!

Crossings? nope

Education .. as in Green Cross/Bikeability .. in reality .. NOPE

Almost all (80%) spent the £100m in grant money on





or humps.. or cushions..

Only ONE stood out., North Yorkshire - who like Durham (who don't get any such grant apparently and fund internally and via their normal LA funding per an FOI on this - and still manage to deliver a decent safety led policy) do not have fixed scams.. but do have mobile units in the hands of the police.. as does Durham in reality. This LA spent its entire grant on road safety intiatives such as Open Driver/Cycling Biker Training Days etc and lectures on road safety in their schools.

London topped the league by blowing all their grant on scams. I wonder where Ken's getting his £562m for cycling then Kengestion hike on the big cars ..which include top of range Mondeos and Vectras as well as the mumpty 4x4. Sorry to disillusion you Ken.. but the last time I went to London I was almost asphyxiated by a belching bus. I know old red buses are part of the scenery .. and I like 'em.. but I think you should be spending cash on maintenance mate.. (He lurks.. they all do. )

Ken claims London gets another grant for road safety.

Well.. it's not being spent on this. Ask the cyclists! They want real road engineering NOW and not some airy fairy gimmick to emerge in 2025 and given how prices escalate..

Never never lah lah land Ken.


But worryingly .. Auto Express finds the average spend on scams is £1.7m MORE than when the SCP ruled the roost.

Even the councils were not aware what they were supposed to use the money for. Auto Express discovered some dodged the issue and claimed the SCP were in charge of all this.


Neil Greig of the IAM agrees AGREES that the money is being foolishly mis-spent.





Quite a good analogy. Some folk are allergic to plasters Besides .. sticking a plaster on a cut does not clean the wound.. remove the bacteria.. necessarily promote healing - especially if we have a deep nasty cut. It needs much more TLC. and professional care.

The DfT were worried at the "cash cow" reputation of PC Gatso and Inspector Truvelo and Sergeant SPECS. and claim the grants are capped to try to stop the erection of more scams and that they do not have to keep the scams.. yet SCPs are still maintaining them in some areas.

We also appear to have a rebrand

Safer Roads Partership.. with claims to liaise with schools to help fund Bikeabiltity (NOT happening Steve.. DEFINITELY not happening ) and Green Cross teaching.... (also not happening) In fact Auto Express's FOI and investigation show that advertising THINK! and all education is still just a very tiny part of the total spend.


Councils are still spending on scams with a handful claiming the cash is spent on . "maintenance.. admin.. court fees ..etc) . but claiming the old SCPs have to bid for cash to erect new scams.

But they are buying more of them just the same.

Neil Greig of the IAM sums it up.






Only. Neil .. it should not. They should know how to spend it properly. If they cannot .. then they have no right to be in public office.


The mag also has a useful photo call of all scams we may meet in Europe and USA.

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