Councillors Agree To Look At 'Cost And Effectiveness' Of Average Speed Cameras

Thursday, 16 September 2021 12:01

By Louise Hill - LDR Reporter

The Isle of Wight Council's Alliance Group has voted to look at the cost and effectiveness of average speed cameras for the Island.

To try to sort out what it called the ‘horrendous’ speeding issue on the Island, the Isle of Wight Council had previously put £300,000 aside in this year’s budget, to buy two sets of average speed cameras.

However the Conservatives lost control of County Hall at May’s election, so party leader Cllr Steve Hastings urged the authority’s new cabinet members, at last night’s (Wednesday) full council meeting, to continue with the purchase of the cameras.

But, instead they voted to amend the motion.

The Alliance group agreed to continue to develop a business case to investigate the costs and effectiveness of the cameras.

Cllr Hastings said there was only so much the police and static speed cameras could do, particularly along the Military Road.

Cllr Ian Dore, said he was not convinced the mobile cameras would be a solution and it was only through cuts that the Island did not have a dedicated police road traffic unit.

Cllr Dore said he applauded the move to investigate cameras, saying speeding was clearly an Island-wide problem and more needed to be done to address it — starting with speedwatch campaigns, but also speaking to Hampshire Constabulary, to see what could be done to bring back the dedicated road policing unit.

Cllr Vanessa Churchman said it was alright if speed limit signs were in place, but if you could not enforce that, it would be a waste of time.

She said the cameras would be effective as a traffic deterrent, ‘frightening people into obeying the law’.

Cabinet member for business development and regeneration, Cllr Julie Jones-Evans, who has previously been campaigning for 20mph zones to be installed in all towns and villages on the Island, said she hoped speeding would, in a few years, be seen in the same light as drink driving, as completely unacceptable behaviour.

As part of the approved motion (one vote against and one abstention), the neighbourhoods and regeneration policy and scrutiny committee will advise on the effectiveness of the cameras.

Recently Played

Locked Away

R City / Adam Levine
Download
Lighter

Galantis / David Guetta / 5 Seconds Of Summer
Download
Walk This Way

Run Dmc / Aerosmith
Download

Four Men Arrested Following Rogue Trader Activities In East Cowes
Four rogue traders have been arrested following a series of aggressive and fraudulent interactions on the Isle of Wight.
Rugby Players Set To Scale Great Heights For Teddy
The Ward family have a massive personal mountain to climb – Jess and Dan’s son, Teddy, aged just 22 months, has been diagnosed with the life-limiting condition called mitochondrial disease.
Drug Driving, Domestic Abuse And Stalking Among Arrests Made As Police Target Isle Of Wight Criminals
Policing teams across the Isle of Wight have joined together as part of a high visibility proactive effort to tackle Island criminality.
Work Begins On ‘Monumental’ Mural Project At Historic Columbine Building
APRIL marks the beginning of an ambitious artistic endeavour as muralist Alice Malia, along with a team of eight talented local artists, starts the creation of a large-scale mural on the Columbine Building in East Cowes.

Councillors Agree To Look At 'Cost And Effectiveness' Of Average Speed Cameras

Share

More from Isle of Wight News

Recently Played