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Southampton's speed camera budget to be cut?
8:30am Tuesday 18th November 2008
Comments (40)
SPEED cameras in Southampton could become a casualty of Tory budget cuts.
Transport chiefs in the city want to halve their contribution to the group which manages and maintains the mobile and ten fixed cameras in the city.
The proposal would leave a £163,000 hole in the Hampshire speed camera partnership’s £2.4m budget.
Tory Cabinet member for transport Councillor Matt Dean, who is waiting to hear back from camera chiefs, said: “It’s going to result in a reduction in the number of cameras in all probability.”
The cuts are one of a number of proposals to plug an estimated £13m deficit in next year’s £184m council budget.
A consultation document recognised the partnership had “delivered improvements in casualty reduction”, but added it was felt “this level of safety could be maintained by the council with a reduced contribution to this partnership”.
Cllr Dean said cameras “had their place” as a way to reduce casualties, although some may need to be re-sited, and he was not following Swindon council in scrapping them.
But he said he was keen for the partnership to make more use of driver awareness courses offered for £74 to motorists caught speeding.
He said: “Police could move to fewer cameras overall. Or fewer fixed cameras and more mobile enforcement.
“And ultimately if they don’t make the back office savings and have policies that reflect an increase in driver training that could be the end of the partnership.”
He insisted: “The time has come for value for money.”
Hampshire Safer Roads Partnership said in a statement: “It would be inappropriate to make a comment at this stage because partnership funding for next year is still under discussion.”
The partnership insisted its work had resulted in a “significant reduction” in casualties.
It said: “At our camera locations in Southampton, there has been a reduction of 25 per cent in collisions and 46 per cent in collisions resulting in people being killed or seriously injured between April 2005 to March 2008 compared to baseline figures.”
Until last year speed camera partnerships – made up of councils, police and road safety groups – kept the income from cameras.
After criticism, the Government decided that cash generated from the cameras would go directly to the Treasury in return for road safety grants to councils on the basis of accident statistics. Last year the grants totalled £110m.
Your Say YourDaily Echo
hulla baloo, southampton says...
9:07am Tue 18 Nov 08
The comparison is only with the locations of the camera, as in before and after placement.
Typical political talking up here.
I cannot see figures to compare with total accidents on a year on year basis.
hulla baloo, southampton says...
9:10am Tue 18 Nov 08
Now the budget has been cut, the cameras are being reduced.
Where is the concern for lives now?
Bl--dy hypocrites.
UTS, says...
9:12am Tue 18 Nov 08
Not a problem where all the others are sited.
Georgem, Southampton says...
9:24am Tue 18 Nov 08
UTS wrote:Northam Bridge? No need whatsoever for a safety camera there.
One in bitterne is a pure cash cow !
Not a problem where all the others are sited.
splatpanik, southampton says...
9:33am Tue 18 Nov 08
Insight, says...
9:36am Tue 18 Nov 08
He's left it up to councils to decide wether to plunge millions of additional pounds into new average speed cameras which cost ten times the price of the now out of date GATSO and because of their nature don't generate a tenth of the income.
It is only logical for the council to withdraw the funding and divert it back to traditional policing (assuming that's what they'll do) as authoritys around the whole country reluctantly accepts that GATSO's have had there day and are due for the chop.
obelisker, Southampton says...
10:16am Tue 18 Nov 08
goard, Southampton says...
10:24am Tue 18 Nov 08
goard
southy, redbridge says...
10:35am Tue 18 Nov 08
UTS wrote:its only a cash cow if people are speeding,the one in northam bridge is a know place where people speed as is the ones along redbridge road
One in bitterne is a pure cash cow !
Not a problem where all the others are sited.
Georgem, Southampton says...
11:14am Tue 18 Nov 08
southy wrote:You miss the point, Southy. These cameras have been mis-sold as "safety cameras" but what safety are they providing on Northam Bridge? What safety are they providing on Redbridge Road? Were they accident black spots (try to avoid claiming there have been 300 billion casualties there this week alone)? No, they're speeding hot spots, those allocating cameras know this, and know that they will collect revenue from those cameras. There are other, more suitable places for cameras, where they actually will make a road more safe. The Bitterne Road one, for one. It's got a pedestrian crossing in one direction, and a clumsily-merged set of roads in the other.
UTS wrote:its only a cash cow if people are speeding,the one in northam bridge is a know place where people speed as is the ones along redbridge road
One in bitterne is a pure cash cow !
Not a problem where all the others are sited.
emdee, city of southampton says...
11:26am Tue 18 Nov 08
the two on bitterne road should also be a 40, why is there never a speed camera outside a school. even a mobile one dragged around all the schools over a month would be good?
simple innit? just won't happen, its a tax!
Tony Lehrle-Fry, Bitterne Park says...
12:01pm Tue 18 Nov 08
Of course, the costs of serious injuries and deaths are not simply a matter of cash. While the knee jerk reaction of many motorists will be "great, now I can go faster" I'm sure that most of us will take a more responsible attitude and worry that one proven way of cutting deaths is to be cut. Many of us are cyclists as well as motorists and almost all of us are pedestrians some of the time.
I'm surprised that the Echo, which runs campaigns whenever a child is killed by a speeding motorist, is allowing adverts for "anti-speed camera paint" on this page.
Insight, says...
12:05pm Tue 18 Nov 08
Geoff Hoon has declared that GATSO's are obsolete and 'unfair' and need to be replace with something that works it's now up to the councils to decide on what to spend their road safety budgets, and the tedious 'if you don't speed blah blah' is no longer relevant.
southy, redbridge says...
12:12pm Tue 18 Nov 08
emdee they are keep at 30mph for a reason,have a walk along there and look about see how long it takes you to see the reason why
Jerry Parsons, Eling on Sea says...
12:18pm Tue 18 Nov 08
emdee wrote:Sometime back the only camera that seemed to make sense in our area ( Tichfield hill by the primary school) was removed. People were taking care & it wasn't generating enough cash. Now speeds ( even at school opening & closing times) are back up.
Northam road and bridge should be a 40 limit anyway, it is kept as a 30 because to outsiders it appears as though it is a 40 and just keeps the cash coming in. the two on bitterne road should also be a 40, why is there never a speed camera outside a school. even a mobile one dragged around all the schools over a month would be good? simple innit? just won't happen, its a tax!
Georgem, Southampton says...
12:20pm Tue 18 Nov 08
southy wrote:Yes, Southy, reasons. Sometimes the reason will be safety. Other times - such as in the case of Bitterne Road - it's a matter of noise reduction at the behest of local residents. Other times still, it's completely arbitrary. When was the last time a car went careening off Northam Bridge at 40 mph? I mean, an actual real incident, not just something you make up to avoid having to answer a question
point is if theres speeders then it is a safty issue
emdee they are keep at 30mph for a reason,have a walk along there and look about see how long it takes you to see the reason why
southy, redbridge says...
12:41pm Tue 18 Nov 08
Georgem, Southampton says...
12:47pm Tue 18 Nov 08
Denzil, Chilworth says...
12:48pm Tue 18 Nov 08
southy, redbridge says...
12:59pm Tue 18 Nov 08
Denzil wrote:ah denzil back,hey denzil next time you come down our road can you please keep it down to a reasonable 60mph in your ac cobra, after all it is a 30 mph road
Excellent news, they should abolish them althogther.
Denzil, Chilworth says...
1:20pm Tue 18 Nov 08
southy wrote:You must be mistaken Southy, I don't visit slum areas like Redbridge, and I certainly don't drive an AC Cobra.
Denzil wrote: Excellent news, they should abolish them althogther.ah denzil back,hey denzil next time you come down our road can you please keep it down to a reasonable 60mph in your ac cobra, after all it is a 30 mph road
Paramjit Bahia, Southampton says...
1:38pm Tue 18 Nov 08
southy wrote:Sorry Southy I do not share your view.
UTS wrote: One in bitterne is a pure cash cow ! Not a problem where all the others are sited.its only a cash cow if people are speeding,the one in northam bridge is a know place where people speed as is the ones along redbridge road
Problem spot in Bitterne is not where the camera is, it is in down the hill in Bitterne Road. Camera is there to mint money out of somebody who could unwittingly end up being marginally over the limit while going down hill.
One on the Northam Bridge is also not placed where most accidents occur. That place is the bend in road before the camera. I know the problems of those areas because at one time both I and Alan Whitehead used to represent that ward. That is why that big yellow warning sign was erected by the Bitterne Manor and it was objected by then Tory Government.
Paramjit Bahia, Southampton says...
1:44pm Tue 18 Nov 08
southy, redbridge says...
1:57pm Tue 18 Nov 08
the idea to place it before the bend is to get drivers to reduce there speed before they get to the bend.
Paramjit Bahia, Southampton says...
2:02pm Tue 18 Nov 08
southy wrote:Southy I beg to disagree with you. I do not think that it is the speed which causes accidents. It is bad driving and attitude of some idiots who overestimate their limits and are lousy at judging the road conditions.
point is if theres speeders then it is a safty issue emdee they are keep at 30mph for a reason,have a walk along there and look about see how long it takes you to see the reason why
I share the view that speed or shall I say the greed cameras cause distractions. They make drivers spend more time looking at the speedos or looking around for cameras when they should be looking at the road.
German speed limits are much higher than ours but they do not have more deaths on the roads then in UK.
Paramjit Bahia, Southampton says...
2:15pm Tue 18 Nov 08
southy wrote:Sorry Southy, one on Notham Bridge is after the Bitterne Manor bend. There is no camera on the other side of the carriageway before approaching the bend while driving out of town.
Paramjit Bahia it is only a speed cow if your speeding,and being with in the a 10% of the speed limit will give you good arguement if its on a down hill slope,arguement would be you using the engine in conjunkions with the brakes to keep the speed down and keeping full controll of the car. the idea to place it before the bend is to get drivers to reduce there speed before they get to the bend.
Same partly applies to one up the hill in Bitterne. Bend is under the bridge and camera after that if you are travelling towards town that is.
Niel, Eastleigh says...
2:15pm Tue 18 Nov 08
"Sometime back the only camera that seemed to make sense in our area ( Tichfield hill by the primary school) was removed. People were taking care & it wasn't generating enough cash. Now speeds ( even at school opening & closing times) are back up."
Jerry, if you notice they now use the mobile scamera vans to raise revenue along there, hidding in different places to do so, net effect more money in and NO deterent effect.
I've seen the fixed site scamera service company van parked on pavements and the like, but the 'official' Hampshire scamera service/move the camera to differnt boxes is worse, 45 plus along Highlands Road has been observed, but you don't nick you own, do you...
southy, redbridge says...
2:19pm Tue 18 Nov 08
yes it is bad driving that causes accidents and speeding over the limits is part of it lest time to react if some thing go's wrong,
like you i dont like speed cameras more so the ones that flash in your eyes while your at the wheel this is a danger to road users,
Tony Lehrle-Fry, Bitterne Park says...
3:28pm Tue 18 Nov 08
Paramjit Bahia wrote:If you're driving a motor vehicle, you should not be unwittingly doing anything. If you don't know you're speeding perhaps you need to reexamine your driving style.
southy wrote:Sorry Southy I do not share your view. Problem spot in Bitterne is not where the camera is, it is in down the hill in Bitterne Road. Camera is there to mint money out of somebody who could unwittingly end up being marginally over the limit while going down hill. One on the Northam Bridge is also not placed where most accidents occur. That place is the bend in road before the camera. I know the problems of those areas because at one time both I and Alan Whitehead used to represent that ward. That is why that big yellow warning sign was erected by the Bitterne Manor and it was objected by then Tory Government.UTS wrote: One in bitterne is a pure cash cow ! Not a problem where all the others are sited.its only a cash cow if people are speeding,the one in northam bridge is a know place where people speed as is the ones along redbridge road
It was only a few weeks ago that someone was killed in Bitterne Road when they hit a wall.
What I would like to see along that road is the removal of the central reservation, and the removal of the pedestrian barriers as I think both give the illusion that it is safer to drive faster than it actually is. We could then widen the pavements and incorporate a cycle lane on this very busy road.
Paramjit Bahia, Southampton says...
4:23pm Tue 18 Nov 08
Tony Lehrle-Fry wrote:Hi Tony are you still working for John Denham who unwittingly messed up the budget by many millions of pounds? Hardly surprising now you are in favour of removing the barriers which may have been erected by guess who? Your own Labour administration. Have you got no sense of responsibility towards how the public money is used?
Paramjit Bahia wrote:If you're driving a motor vehicle, you should not be unwittingly doing anything. If you don't know you're speeding perhaps you need to reexamine your driving style. It was only a few weeks ago that someone was killed in Bitterne Road when they hit a wall. What I would like to see along that road is the removal of the central reservation, and the removal of the pedestrian barriers as I think both give the illusion that it is safer to drive faster than it actually is. We could then widen the pavements and incorporate a cycle lane on this very busy road.southy wrote:Sorry Southy I do not share your view. Problem spot in Bitterne is not where the camera is, it is in down the hill in Bitterne Road. Camera is there to mint money out of somebody who could unwittingly end up being marginally over the limit while going down hill. One on the Northam Bridge is also not placed where most accidents occur. That place is the bend in road before the camera. I know the problems of those areas because at one time both I and Alan Whitehead used to represent that ward. That is why that big yellow warning sign was erected by the Bitterne Manor and it was objected by then Tory Government.UTS wrote: One in bitterne is a pure cash cow ! Not a problem where all the others are sited.its only a cash cow if people are speeding,the one in northam bridge is a know place where people speed as is the ones along redbridge road
Sorry mate on this one like you I have no political axe to grind.
Please stop twisting my words. By unwittingly I did not mean to start smoking pot like some of your mates did in the past and are now cabinet ministers including the Home Secretary. All I meant was people who do not break speed limits as a matter of habit but could end up fluctuating over the limit while going down hill.
Regarding that tragic accident and few others, they only prove that cameras are not where speed need checking but where most money can be minted.
Sometime have a word with Alan Whitehead he will tell you why that huge sign on Bitterne Manor bend was located at that spot. That is where the other camera should be.
Georgem, Southampton says...
4:35pm Tue 18 Nov 08
Paramjit Bahia, yes german speed limits are much higher than ours till you get into a town then they are lower.
Not true, Southy. When were you last in Germany? I was there not 2 months ago, and I can confirm that this is indeed complete rubbish
Attempt to present fantasy as fact failed, I'm afraid. Makes me wonder why you need to continually do that. Not got much faith in your opinions? Bit worried your points won't stand up on their merits? Maybe it's time to adjust them, then
southy, redbridge says...
4:39pm Tue 18 Nov 08
D.a.v.e, Bitterne says...
4:50pm Tue 18 Nov 08
AngrySotonResident, says...
6:43pm Tue 18 Nov 08
Rob444, Southampton says...
9:36pm Tue 18 Nov 08
Georgem, Southampton says...
2:00pm Wed 19 Nov 08
Rob444 wrote:Oh look, it's Mr "If I stick my hands over my ears and go 'la la la la la' whilst citing the law, all problems cease to exist" again
If road users could be trusted to obey the law, speed cameras would not be needed.
southy, redbridge says...
12:32pm Thu 20 Nov 08
or did you do what alot of people do see 40 and think right away MPH when you should be thinking KPH, its under standable if you did a lot of people do the same.
Georgem, Southampton says...
2:47pm Thu 20 Nov 08
southy wrote:No Southy, I just never read the post until today. Is this your latest trick? First we've got the "patronise the guy who disagrees with me, talk to him like a child" antics, and now the "if there's no response within a certain time limit, claim an automatic 'victory' over some technicality"
i take it then georgem that the speed limit in a normal german town is still 40KMP,you never came back with a reply.
or did you do what alot of people do see 40 and think right away MPH when you should be thinking KPH, its under standable if you did a lot of people do the same.
I saw some 40km/h (about 25mph), some 50km/h (3omph) speed limits, some 60km/h(37mph) speed limits and some 70km/h(just over 43mph) speed limits in urban Germany. And I'm afraid you picked the wrong guy to try the old "you assumed it was miles not kilometers" stunt on here, because the speedo in my car is in KM/H, I have to do the opposite conversion in this country, and KM/H is natural to me.
So what can we conclude from the German situation? Oh yeh, they don't have a "normal" urban speed limit, and that mandating a blanket 30mph speed limit everywhere simply in order to not have to think about it further, has a negative effect on road safety. Case dismissed
southy, redbridge says...
4:15pm Thu 20 Nov 08
A Gatso speed camera
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Condor Man, Southampton says...
8:35am Tue 18 Nov 08