Anne is accusing the Conservatives on Swindon Borough Council of playing politics with lives as its cabinet reviews the option of withdrawing from the Wiltshire & Swindon Safety Camera Partnership.

She will meet with activists today on Queens Drive where the speed camera has been covered up and where there have been many tragic accidents. Anne will give out give out leaflets leaflets with the ‘Hands off our speed cameras’ logo, see attached.

Anne challenges the Tory Administration to answer the concerns of parents who support speed cameras as an effective solution that cuts accidents and injuries on our streets.

Anne said: “In the school holidays kids from Churchfields School and across Swindon will be out and about in the town and we need them to be able to cross the road in safety. First of all I want the Queens Drive camera up and running, because I share the concerns of local people that there will be more fatalities there.”

“Then I want the council to drop their plans to pull out of the Safety Camera Partnership to make way for a speed camera stealth tax. The best speed camera is the one that doesn’t raise a penny, just save lives.”

Councillor’s Andy James and Peter Greenhalgh moved a motion in the Full Council which laid the foundations for the withdrawal from the Wiltshire and Swindon Safety Camera Partnership.

Anne then wrote to the Minister, Jim Fitzpatrick with her fears that they are doing this so they can use speed fines as a stealth tax.

Anne said: “The council’s finances are in a poor shape and they want to use the fines from speed camera to prop them up. Policy on speed cameras should be about saving lives not making a profit.”

The Wiltshire & Swindon Safety Camera Partnership website says their aim is to “reduce casualties and collisions at accident sites throughout Wiltshire. The strategy employed to achieve this is to influence motorist behaviour through education and information and by encouraging motorists to drive safely and appropriately and within the speed limits. As at the 31 March 2007, at sites where our cameras are located throughout the county, we have seen a reduction of 65.6% of killed and seriously injured (KSIs) persons. They really do work!”

Notes for editors:

Speed camera on Queens Drive

There has been one fatality and 21 injuries, including four serious on Queens Drive in the last eighteen months.  Constituents have raised concerns about the speed of traffic along Queens Drive and their real concerns that there will be more fatalities.  Anne has been contacted a number of times regarding the speed camera that is covered and out of use on Queens Drive.  She has been re-assured by the Borough Council that  following the change of speed restrictions on the magic roundabout new signs will be in place very soon and work will begin on re-commissioning the speed camera.

Anne remained very concerned that the close working with the Safety Camera Partnership is under threat and that peoples lives should not be put at risk by withdrawing from the scheme. 

Figures from Swindon Council show the Government is funding the council’s road safety programme:

Funding from Government from 2008/9 to 2010/11

The Capital sum of £86,495 is retained by the Borough Council for Road Safety measures.

The revenue amount of £388,751: £67,000 for a road safety officer and £321,751 is made available for use for the Camera partnership.

The figure of £321,751 is what the Safety Camera Unit has in their budget plan for 2008/9.

To follow the debate click here.