A mobile laser speed gun could soon be catching motorists around Wellington under new plans from police.
West Mercia Police has approached Wellington Town Council to ask if it is interested in part-funding the equipment. It would be used to tackle speed hotspots and improve safety on the roads around the town. However, councillors have requested an officer speaks to them before they decide whether to support the plan or not.
They also want to look at alternatives to a gun including flashing anti-speed signs, which illuminate with the speed limit and a “slow down” message when motorists are exceeding the limit.
Howard Perkins, town council clerk, said an approach had been received last week about a gun and it was discussed at a meeting on Tuesday.
Mr Perkins: “Councillors decided they wanted to hear more about the problem and we have written asking for someone to come and speak about it.”
He added that councillors do not have specific issues at the moment, but they want to find out more and look at the alternatives.
The Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia, which recently took over from the West Mercia Safety Camera Partnership in organising cameras in the force area, said police could operate their own guns independently, but it may part-fund one with the council.
In April new rules came into force which mean speed cameras can now be sited in spots which do not necessarily have a history of serious accidents.
Funding now goes to the partnership through Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire County councils, rather than directly from Central Government.
It was suggested the move would give campaigners and councils more say over cameras.
The guns can be operated by volunteers who are trained by officers. They stand at designated points on 30mph or 40mph zones with the device and note down the registration numbers of cars breaking the speed limit.
In May Wrockwardine Parish Council members decided to contribute £1,000 towards buying a similar gun for the area.
The issue was raised after fears someone could be killed if action is not taken to reduce the speed of vehicles in the parish which covers Admaston.
A decision will be made by Wellington Town Council over whether to fund the idea at a later meeting.
By Dave West
13 Comments
Once again, the solution is much more simple. Ban the motor car and force the populus to utilise pubic transport.
I’m not at all happy with the idea of ‘volunteers’ manning such cameras. We could find that the sort of people manning these range from either residents who simply like their roads to be a little quieter, or anti-car environmentalists who just don’t like motorists - in other words people with motives somewhat removed from straighforward road safety.
I would doubt that the ‘evidence’ collected by these people would stand up in court anyway.
What the ’safer roads’ partnership fail to recognise is that there are many factors in safer driving, with speed being just one of them. What we need are more traffic police (but obviously better ones than PC Milton) who are capable of discerning between say the safe driver who might stray a couple of mph over the limit now and then , and the truly dangerous inattentive drivers who drift from lane to lane without signalling or having any apparent awareness of the world around them.
How about sorting out the illegal
parking around the town,like in Church Street &Market Street,first.
Harry old boy, the solution is to stick to 30 in a 30 or 40 in a 40, if people stayed within the Legal Limits then there would be no need for cameras, laser guns ect.
Harold. Do you happen to live on a bus route with a good level of service. I dont. I would not get anywhere without a car.
Instead of scrounging money from Wellington Town Council why don’t the police try a very radical approach to the problem? Use police officers to catch people speeding.
There are already more than enough mobile speed cameras and fixed speed cameras in the area.
There are enough hot spots which need patrolling. High Street in wellington is used like a race track by the take-away delivery drivers who decide they have the ability and skills to drive like Schumacher when they are waiting for their next job. Their employers dont take responsibililty, so I would happily stand there with a gun and zap those responsible.
Im not being a kill-joy but reversing at around 50 miles per hour before wheel spinning is not my idea of sensible driving!
Spend money on catching boy racers instead !!
just another way of trying to get more money out of us
Fouls old bean, do you actually drive a modern motor vehicle? Do you ever take it onto roads you are not familiar with?
Your comments lead me to suspect the answer is no.
If you have never ’strayed’ over the limit, then youre either not a driver, or youre one of those nuisances that crawls round at least 10mph below the limit all the time holding everyone else up.
I see Mr Anti-car Peasbody is at it again.
Be realistic, you can not ban the car from everywhere.
Buses are still not brilliant and a car is not a luxury in shropshire but more a necessity.
I belive the council is right to look at alternatives to speed cameras, as it is sometimes easy (although not acceptable) to creep over the spped limit and get points on your licence and a fine (penalised twice, three times if you include the insurance premium increase).
One question Mr Peasbody, do you ever go in a car as a driver or passenger??
It would be a far better accident prevention measure if the police and volanteers took action against the illegal use of mobile phones around the roads in Admaston and Wrockwardine. Two hands on the steeringawheel instead of one would be a far more effective accident prevention measure. People seem to think that this legislation does not apply in
country roads and lanes, when in effect the need to be in full control of the steering wheel is needed at all times. I most certainly agree with the comments Peter has made.
More speed camera`s. This local council/country is going to bits. hitting the people where it hurts there pockets again.. use money else where like NHS or the the elderly..