Drivers to face another year of fixed cameras






Fixed speed cameras will be staying in the city for at least 12 more months







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Published Date:
29 January 2009
By Alex Forsyth
Political editor
Fixed speed cameras are set to stay in Portsmouth for at least 12 months.
Road chiefs have agreed to sign up to the Safer Roads Partnership – which operates the cameras – for another year.

But they say the fixed cameras are just one way of tackling speed, and want to see more mobile cameras and flashing speed signs.

Councillor Lynne Stagg, who is in charge of traffic and transport at the city council, said: 'Speed cameras have their place but they are just one of a range of measures we can use.'

Portsmouth has seven fixed cameras, one in Anglesea Road, Copnor Road, Eastern Road, Mile End Road and Northern Parade, and two in London Road.

As reported in The News, council leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson said last year that the council might withdraw its cash contribution to the partnership and scrap fixed speed cameras in favour of mobile ones.

He said the fixed cameras weren't effective at enforcing the city's 20mph streets.

But figures show accident rates at the camera spots are falling, with a 43 per cent drop in small collisions on Copnor Road, Copnor, in the past three years and a 65 per cent drop on Mile End Road.

Simon Moon, the council's traffic and road safety manager, said: 'We have found the partnership has been delivering benefits to the city. Overall there has been a reduction in the number of casualties.'

Mr Moon said the council would keep reviewing the sites and use other road safety tools – such as flashing speed signs – where they could.

'Fixed speed cameras are just one of the options we have got in ensuring casualty reductions on these roads,' he said. 'They need to be constantly under review and if we have an opportunity of taking out the fixed speed cameras and using vehicle activated signs instead then we will do that.'

Cllr Stagg has agreed £290,000 should be paid to the Safer Roads Partnership – made up of Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council, Southampton City Council and Isle of Wight Council – in 2009/10.

The decision will have to be confirmed by the council's ruling cabinet.

The full article contains 368 words and appears in The News newspaper.
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  • Last Updated: 29 January 2009 8:13 AM
  • Source: The News
  • Location: Portsmouth