The Oldham Liberal Democrats want to see some action to bring speed cameras back into use and more transparency over where they are sited and how they are funded.
At present officers from GM Councils, the Greater Manchester Police and Transport for Greater Manchester meet to discuss speed cameras, with elected councillors having no say in decision making; a situation that Oldham Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has described as “something North Korea would be very proud of.”
Councillor Sykes has written to Eamonn Boylan, the Chief Executive of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, asking him to ensure that all existing speed cameras are functional and recording traffic violations as they happen, and that they be upgraded to incorporate the latest digital technology.
Councillor Sykes also wants to see more money being made available to site further cameras at accident blackspots. He last raised the issue in November 2019 and is demanding to know what if any action has been taken.
Councillor Sykes explained: “Now that people are going back to work or taking children to school, traffic on our roads is increasing, and so drivers, passengers and pedestrians are more likely to be involved in an accident. Yet we have the situation across Greater Manchester where for many months (or years) traffic cameras have not been working, and so speeding drivers have got off scot-free. Or there are situations where a speed camera is desperately needed to act as a deterrent to bad driving.”
In his letter to Mr Boylan, Councillor Sykes also raises a second concern – that there is no input into decision making by elected councillors and no transparency or accountability from the officers who currently make the decisions.
Councillor Sykes hopes that his letter, a copy of which has also been sent to the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, will shake up the system and get some action.
The letter to Mr Eamonn Boylan reads:
16 September 2020
Eamonn Boylan, Chief Executive of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Dear Eamonn Boylan,
Re: Roadside safety cameras across Greater Manchester
I am writing to you to urge you and other regional leaders to work together to upgrade roadside safety cameras and make them all functional across Greater Manchester to help tackle speeding.
I first raised this issue a couple of years ago and more recently at the Greater Manchester Transport Committee Meeting held on 8 November 2019. Simply put, to avoid further unnecessary deaths, injuries and damage to personal property and highways infrastructure, the following action is required:
- The cash to digitise and upgrade the existing safety camera system should be found as an immediate priority.
- A programme for its completion should be agreed and actioned.
- The inadequacies are not just about the system – a review is also needed as to the criteria for the location and installation of safety cameras. Including their funding and the option for local funding if local priorities demand.
- The Drive Safety Group/Body needs to have Councillor representation and inclusion as at present it is devoid of both and is just a group of Council Officers/TfGM Officers/Police setting priorities and policies for such matters as speed cameras.
The above should be an immediate priority, it is wrong that defunct safety cameras line our roads allowing drivers to regularly abuse speed limits.
It is also wrong that Highway Officers from the component 10 Districts (and TfGM) and the Police sit down and decide what the criteria is for safety camera approval and installation without ANY elected Councillor input or scrutiny.
I recently found/allocated money to provide a safety camera and after a very lengthy process I was informed my request does not fit the criteria. When I asked how to change the criteria, I was informed it was not an elected member right to ask for it to be changed.
Surely the public that elect us expect, rightly so, that elected members should have a say on the placement of cameras?
As currently constructed, this is a catch 22 situation and something North Korea would be very proud of.
Given the number of residents that have contacted me about speeding issues and the amount of time that has passed since I originally raised this issue, I would appreciate your response to this letter as soon as possible with hopefully a way forward from the current unsatisfactory situation.
Best wishes and stay safe,
Howard Sykes
CC. Andy Burnham – Mayor of Greater Manchester