Safe Speed: Speed Camera cash up for grabs
Friday, 30, Mar 2007 12:00
With new funding for speed cameras in place from 1st April, people might think that speed cameras will be well funded. Not one bit of it.
The new 'road safety grant' budgets are NOT ring fenced AT ALL, let alone ring fenced for speed cameras. [1]
Since the funding is CAPPED for 4 years at a similar level to recent years'
operating budgets, the first thing we know is that there will be no expansion of the speed camera programme. But...
1) The grants will be 'called upon' by a wide range of road safety projects, limiting the cash available for speed cameras.
2) The 'partnerships' will have wider responsibilities - and are expected to be asked to enforce mobile phone offences and uninsured driving offences. This will leave less of the remaining budget for speed cameras.
3) In some cases local authorities will siphon off cash for essential local services such as meals on wheels. This will leave even less cash for speed cameras.
Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign
(www.safespeed.org.uk) said: "It's time for road users to get angry. Department for Transport are attempting to let speed cameras slide into obscurity because THEY KNOW that they aren't working to save lives. THEY KNOW that the cash will be grabbed. It is an outrage of the highest order that Department for Transport has not owned up to their deadly mistake with speed camera policy."
"A road safety policy that does not work absorbs life saving resources at multiple levels in our road safety system. With efforts concentrated on the wrong safety factor the opportunity to save lives is missed. It really is that simple."
"Department for Transport would rather save face than save lives. It is not fit for purpose and must be restructured."
"Department for Transport research into speed camera side effects was cancelled recently [2]. We know why. They know why. But they don't have the decency or the honesty to come clean about it. The truth is we're dying of the side effects."
Notes for editors
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[1] See grant funding letters:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/secroadsafetygrants/secspecificrdsafetygrants/
[2] http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SafeSpeedPR/message/314