Safe Speed Forums

Speed cameras go from town centre

The council has decided the cameras will go from June
Swindon's council has voted to press ahead with plans to pull out of the town's safety camera partnership and restructure road safety.

The cameras will go from June and be replaced with vehicle-activated signs.

The focus would then be on education with road safety lessons given to children, said a council spokesman.

Recent Department for Transport figures showed it received an income of more than £100m from speed cameras around the country.

The revenue from camera fines goes to the government which allocates cash to councils for road safety on the basis of accident statistics.



Councillor Peter Greenhalgh gives his views on speed cameras
In October 2008, councillors in Swindon said new measures were needed as road deaths and injuries had begun to rise, although police said the cameras had helped to cut accidents.

On Wednesday the council ratified its view that the £320,000 it formerly put into the partnership would be better spent on other safety measures like warning signs and street lighting.

Vehicle-activated signs flash a warning to drivers if they exceed the speed limit while passing.

A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said: "We will not compromise on public safety or our drive to help make Wiltshire the safest county in the country.

"We remain committed to the use of a variety of casualty reduction methods, including cameras, in speed enforcement."