Speed cameras 'may not improve safety'

Tuesday, 15 July 2008 12:00 AM

A town council may stop paying for speed cameras after claiming they might not be the best method of improving road safety.

Swindon borough council claims that it currently spends around £400,000 funding the cameras placed around the town.

And the Conservative leader of the council, Roderick Bluh, declared that the money raised for speeding fines is handed directly over to central government and claimed there may be better ways of reducing road accidents.

"All of the fines that are collected go back through national government. So we don't get the fines to reinvest," Mr Bluh said.

"We believe having done a lot of research - [by] my colleague in particular - that the evidence suggests, the government's own statistics suggest, that speed cameras might not be the most effective way to reduce accidents."

Fellow county councillor Peter Greenhalgh added: "These are far more effective than speed cameras which, I feel, are a blatant tax on the motorist.

"They are being used as a cash cow. I do take exception to the positioning of some mobile speed cameras. They are designed to raise revenue.

"I think enough is enough. There are much more important things we as a council should do instead of acting as a law enforcement arm of this government."

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• domestic policy
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• local government
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• transport