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The great switch off: Thousands of speed cameras set to be scrapped as councils follow Oxfordshire's lead



Britain’s network of 6,000 speed cameras could be dramatically reduced after a raft of councils looked set to follow Oxfordshire’s move and switch theirs off.

The county’s entire network of 72 cameras will be switched off at midnight tonight after the coalition Government pulled the plug on their funding.

The change of heart could usher in a different landscape for Britain’s 33million motorists two decades after the first network was installed.

Already, neighbouring Buckinghamshire said it is ‘very likely’ to switch off its cameras, while Bedfordshire, Suffolk and Derbyshire have launched reviews.

Northamptonshire has also switched off eight of their 42 cameras and Somerset is to axe nine of its 26 traps in coming weeks.

Other local authorities have announced there will be no new cameras, despite praising them in the past for helping to reduce road deaths to a record low.

The moves, however, could be just the tip of the iceberg as councils battle to deal with huge reductions in central government funding while expecting further cuts.

Under the terms of the new budget, the road safety grant for 2010-11 has been slashed by 40 per cent.

Crucially, the capital grant - a £17.2million annual fund that typically pays for the cameras - has also been abolished.

With few other way of funding the cameras - as the fines from speeding go to the Treasury - councils would have to pay using revenue earmarked for schools and other projects.

In the case of Oxfordshire, the county council axed its £600,000 grant to the Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership in a bid to find £1million in savings.

While some residents have voiced concern that the move will turn the county’s roads into a ‘racetrack’, many more have welcomed the decision.

Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson, who lives in the county, told the Sunday Times: ‘It will make no difference to the speed that anyone travels.’

Thames Valley Police pointed out that officers will still be on the look-out for speeders.

Traffic police in the county issued 3,396 tickets for the offence in the year ending June 30.

The first camera network was installed in 1992, although their initial take-up was slow with only 30 in place two years after their launch.

It was not until 1999 that the boom really got under way after Labour created safety camera partnerships that allied police forces with local authorities to operate the traps.

In 2000, the numbers of speed cameras exploded to 4,500.

But as time went by they increasingly generated hostility with opponents labelling them ‘greed cameras’ employed as a stealth tax on motorists.

Labour moved to dispel public anger by announcing in 2007 that revenue would no longer go directly to councils but to the Treasury.

So, in providing a road safety grant instead, the last government was unwittingly complicit in the speed camera’s downfall.

Gloucestershire county council, now facing massive budget cuts, made this point apparent in a recent statement.

A spokesman said: ‘The Government has cut the funding to operate the speed camera network - and remember, the Government keeps the revenue from the fines - therefore, we are cancelling all plans for expanding the speed camera network and upgrading existing cameras.’

Daily Fail

Not sure they work anyway. Most good sat navs warn you in plenty of time. Wonder if average speeds and accidents will go up?

I think this is a backwards move both financially and safety wise. I understand that people don't like being fined, but I don't think that anyone can deny that they do give a constant reminder of speed-awareness, I certainly look more often at my speedo than before cameras started.

While most of us use our judgement to travel at a safe speed, we all make mistakes and the greater majority of pedestrian deaths are accidents, not murders), the reduced speed limits make a LOT of difference between injuring somebody and killing them.

Financially, we are always told that cameras make a profit so this is not a saving - it is mearly bowing to opinion of people that are speeding - ie criminals.

Never believed these were for safety as when you looked where most are sited they are just setup to collect money,I also include the roadworks and those average speed one's in that,no I don't have a problem with these camera's if they are sited for road safety,the best thing I have seen in this area and I welcome and think Merseyside Police need a pat on the back for,is that mobile big box speed indicator that pops up on different roads in the area,I think it does work and gives people food for thought on the speed they are doing instead of penalising them.

The only problem with average cameras is that people speed between them, and then have to drop below the limit an hold up traffic to get their average speed down which causes congestion

Cameras did slow traffic down for specific areas, of course, if youre not speeding, you have nothing to worry about anyway.

There must be loads of cars speeding at these points if they are collecting money, so how can you say that?

Any news on Wirrals cam's yet ?

Let's hope they lay off Traffic Wardens next.

Traffic Wardens were employed by Police, and are in very limited areas now. most parking has been decriminalised now, and is done by the council, who employ Civil Enforcement Officers (CEO's).

Don't the council contract out to companies who employ CEOs?

And will this be followed by phasing out traffic police too?

And then you will all be moaning about the lawlessness on our roads.

Don't speed, don't park where you should'nt be, don't be doing things you should'nt be doing, don't be causing a nusciance to others and putting others peoples lives at risk, and you won't have any problems - I don't see the issue with speed camera's and traffic wardens etc. Hey, let's remove CCTV incase it catches people committing other crimes, in fact fook it, lets just remove all forms of crime prevention and policing altogether, that police budget is costing us a whole lotta money and could seriously help with paying off our annual deficit.

As DD said, the camera's only make money when people break the law, so if people were not continuously breaking the law, they would not be getting caught, and the camera's would not be making money.

IF YOU CAN'T DO THE TIME, DON'T DO THE CRIME.

Any news on Wirrals cam's yet ?

No.

I have no issue with speed cameras in residential areas, as they do slow down traffic, however, many cameras are strategically positioned for maximum revenue, on roads that are quite capable of holding a higher limit.

On CEO's, their is pressure on them to place tickets, because if they don't issue enough, they aren't offered overtime, and are also "talked to". Despite targets being denied, there is still unofficial targets. There is no discretion in them any more. Fine, ticket people who are actually causing an obstruction or nusciance, but ticketing someone who's pulled over on a road with plenty of room to go to a cash machine, for example, shouldn't.

As for Traffic Cops, i long for the day we see more on the road, cameras can't catch drunks, stolen cars, drug drivers, carelless/dangerous driving etc. etc.

Just seen this in the Wirral News:

http://www.wirralnews.co.uk/wirral-...-over-axed-speed-cameras-80491-27101076/