Swindon Scraps Fixed Speed Cameras

[RobBrady]

Despite Wiltshire Police's support of speed cameras, Swindon's five fixed speed cameras will be switched off from today.

Referring to the continued use of mobile speed cameras in the area, Deputy Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police David Ainsworth was quoted by the BBC as saying: "Cameras are an effective means to help achieve a reduction in deaths and injuries and, as such, are an invaluable part of our casualty reduction strategy and they will continue to be used."

The Conservative borough council cite expense as the reason, saying the maintenance cost of £320,000 a year is too much when only a small proportion of the revenue generated by the cameras is returned by central government.

Swindon is the first English local authority to scrap cameras.

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Robert Brady

[Brownie1990]

Still using mobiles, they're the real ones that catch people.
Nothing special getting rid of the fixed, easy to see, and where people definitely know where they will be, cameras.

[mostdom]

But the article says switched off and not taken down. This makes me think they will leave them up for the duration, and untill the credit crunch improves and just turn them on again.

So you can put a price on road safty!
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Dom

HERE LIES PND May it rest in peace.
Navigon 7310/iPhone Navigon&Copilot

[RobBrady]

Indeed, switched off, not taken down, but just covered up. It'll be interesting to see if they do take them down, but of course removal will cost money, so it's likely that they'll remain in situ.

You never know, they might need them again in the future when the power shifts in the council
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Robert Brady

[navver]

So what does the government do with the revenue it doesn't return? Does it spend it on road safety or is it another tax.

Why does it cost £64,000 per year per camera for maintenance? What does this cover.

But good luck to Swindon, nice to see common sense prevailing at last.

Lets just hope everyone drives carefully in Swindon over the next few years to get the accident rate down, then maybe other councils will follow suit.

[253]

[BigPerk]

Sounds like your work is similar to what mine was. And taxpayers wonder why public spending goes through the roof, and projects fail, or succeed but are massively over budget!
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David
(Navigon 70 Live, Nuvi 360)

[DennisN]

ITV (local) news presenter said they are bagged (and showed them bagged) and added that they would be dismantled in the next couple of months.

By the way, he said "four" and for the life of me I can only find three inside Swindon on my database. There are two more almost outside police HQ on the A420, but I don't know if these are affected by Swindon Town's decision - I have my doubts.
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

[culzean]

How much more 'revenue' does our fat, wasteful central government need?

The reason our council tax was shooting up at 5 to 6 times the 'official rate of inflation' from the late 90's until just a couple of years ago was that central government was deliberately starving local authorities of funds and forcing them to get more revenue locally - notice how council tax rises were lower just before elections?

Just adds to the general feeling that 'safety cameras' were just revenue raisers, and were erected in the most 'lucrative' spots, nothing to do with safety at all - how cynical.

[navver]

[DennisN]

[gem]

[psyskiesman]

Hi, as a Swindonian I travel the A420 regularly, and can confirm the two cameras near Police HQ have been covered over.

[DennisN]

[psyskiesman]

Only the two near police hq have been covered, all others are still operational.

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