Transport chief: speed cameras could go (From This Is Local London)

Transport chief: speed cameras could go

9:41pm Sunday 25th July 2010 in

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SPEED cameras across Buckinghamshire could go after a transport boss said the council is “very likely” to follow Oxfordshire’s move to cut road safety funding.

Buckinghamshire County Councillor Val Letheren tonight told the Free Press the decision to withdraw cash - about £600,000 - from Thames Valley Road Safety Partnership is a ‘serious’ possibility.

Due to Government cuts Oxfordshire road bosses have recommended cutting its funding to the partnership - which manages speed cameras - meaning its 72 fixed devices will be switched off.

There are 51 fixed cameras and 64 'mobile enforcement locations' in Buckinghamshire.

As previously reported in The Bucks Free Press, BCC has said it wants to see cash spent on other road safety measures instead of cameras (see link, bottom of story).

Cllr Letheren said: “We are going to see how we proceed. I haven’t made up my mind but we are looking at seriously how to make savings.

"If Oxford comes out of the TVSRP, they and us are the biggest contributor.

“We did to talk to Oxford and understand what they are doing but we haven’t yet made up our minds.

“It’s very likely we will do the same but we haven’t made the decision yet.

“We are seriously considering following the same line.

"We have to go through the options with all the partners, the other 8 local authorities.

“We’ve had a tremendous cut in funds. The road safety revenue grant has been reduced by 27 per cent and the capital grant deleted so we can’t buy new equipment.”

She said if Oxfordshire councillors do confirm withdrawal from the partnership “we’d get out as well” as “it won’t work because we are the two biggest players”.

BCC and Oxfordshire combined contribute more than half of the funds to the partnership.

The matter will be discussed at BCC’s Cabinet meeting tomorrow.

However, cameras would not be switched off until March 31 2011 and it would not necessarily mean every device would go, she said.

But she added BCC would have to look at alternatives.

“We might look at different ways of doing road safety, like encouraging villages to do more work and communities to help,” she said.

“We have already done a lot of work with villages where local communities help with speed watching.

“We are looking at ways we can still have road safety activity but how we could work it differently.”

Thames Valley Police and The Highways Agency are also funding partners, while fire and rescue services, the Crown Prosecution Service, and magistrates are also involved in the group.

Click the link below for more.