Speed cameras turned off after council vote

Adam Hewitt • Published 27 Jul 2010 19:30 2 Comments

SPEED cameras in Sonning Common, Cane End and Shiplake will be switched off after a funding cut this week.

Mobile speed traps in Rotherfield Peppard, Woodcote and Moulsford have also been abandoned after Oxfordshire County Council voted today (Tuesday) to cut £600,000 from its grant to the Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership, which operates the cameras on its behalf.

The partnership says it will immediately cease operations in Oxfordshire. Its cameras in Reading, West Berkshire and Wokingham will keep working.

Swindon abandoned speed cameras last year, with little effect on accident statistics so far.

But Thames Valley Police is "concerned" that Oxfordshire's move could mean more serious collisions.

Deputy chief executive of road safety charity Brake, Julie Townsend, said: "Turning cameras off and pulling the plug on other important road safety work, is a disastrous blow for those communities relying on cameras to protect them and an insult to those crying out for measures to cut speeds in their neighbourhoods and those families so traumatically bereaved by speed."

Wokingham Borough Council, which came close to cutting its contribution to the partnership last year, says its funding is safe for now. But highways leader Cllr Keith Baker said road safety schemes were a higher priority than catching speeders, adding: "We have a plan to effectively move some money around to cover the shortfall for road safety."

Speed cameras to be switched off and mobile sites to be abandoned include: Peppard Road/Widmore Lane, Sonning Common; Reading Road, Cane End; A4155, Shiplake; Stoke Row Road, Rotherfield Peppard; A4155, Shiplake; Peppard Road, Sonning Common; Reading Road, Woodcote; Goring Road, Woodcote and The Street, Moulsford.

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• 

  coolerlion
  Unregistered User
  Aug 5, 23:41
  Report comment

  Good News for a change for car drivers !!
  
  about time they start giving fines to cyclists on pavements and jumping red lights.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

• 

  adrianwindisch
  9 posts
  Aug 6, 17:40
  Report comment

  This is bad news for everyone. More deaths & more crashes.
  
  Less revenue in fines will mean increased taxes.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

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