Caution : Unmapped Road Ahead

Swindon switched off it's fixed speed cameras yesterday because the Borough Council doesn't feel the £320,000 it spends per year is value for money for five cameras.

Wiltshire Police will still monitor motorists with mobile units and speed guns.

The money is to be used instead for other strategies to improve and maintain road safety... but even the council aren't sure what they are yet. “We believe there are better ways we can reduce the accidents on our roads than just through the use of speed cameras" , says Councillor Greenhalgh, but then doesn't say what methods will be employed instead.

Councillor Greenhalgh then goes on to let us know how much he doesn't like speed humps either. Judging by the speed hump issue in Freshbrook (they are to be gotten rid of, as reported in the latest issue of The Link Magazine), he seems to be well on his way to winning the votes of motorists for his party nationally at the next election.

The drive for popularity and votes for the Conservatives is reenforced by Councillor Greenhalgh's comment in the Council press release on the issue, "In Swindon we are developing a reputation for challenging the status quo and being at the forefront of new thinking." That sounds like they're excited at getting all this attention from the other children at school. Golly!

Swindon Centric Says ; The press release even states that they will "continue to work on a new road safety strategy."
Wouldn't it have been logical to have a new safety strategy in place before switching off the cameras? Once again, it seems joined-up-thinking has passed Swindon councillors by, at a great, unchecked speed.

Bar the work by Wiltshire Constabulary and their speeding equipment, Swindon's road safety strategy appears to be, 'we'll keep our fingers crossed and keep a sharp eye out'.