Speed cameras are set to be bought by the Isle of Wight Council in a bid to tackle concerns over fast cars and motorbikes, but it comes at a staggering cost of £300,000.
The money raised would not go to the local authority but go back to the government’s central consolidated fund which is then used to fund Department for Transport grants, but the £300,000 would come out of the Isle of Wight Council’s budget and be paid for by Islanders.
As part of the upcoming 2021/22 budget, which could see a 4.99% increase in council tax, the Conservative ruling party has proposed to spend £300,000 to introduce 2 sets of mobile average speed cameras to carry out more speed measuring enforcement. It is thought that these cameras could be installed on Military Road.
At the start of last year, the few remaining speed cameras were removed, although the actual cameras inside had been switched off for several years. The yellow-box casing had been left in place to act as a deterrent.
According to a member of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police’s road traffic management team, there is now only 1 speed camera van on the Island, which is operated part-time. In addition, the Roads Policing Unit at Shanklin merged with the Armed Response Unit, leaving less capability for the enforcement of speed limits. Island Echo exclusively revealed plans for the RPU to be shelved some 6 years ago.
A case has been made nationally for the government to once again separate the road policing force, it is claimed.
Average speed cameras measure how long it takes a vehicle to travel a set distance and if they exceed a set baseline, therefore speeding, the vehicle details are submitted for prosecution.
Councillor Dave Stewart, leader of the Isle of Wight Council, says introducing mobile speed cameras gives the council the capability to deal with speeding although, under current policies, the money made from fines will not be given back to the authority.
Speaking at a meeting of the corporate scrutiny committee on Tuesday, he said:
“That is not the point — in my mind, it is to catch offenders who think it is OK to drive at excessive speeds and put residents at risk.”
A budget for the next financial year will be approved later this month.
and they have got no money lol
Sadly, ‘they’ have, and as much as they wish to ‘take’ from all of us, UNLESS we choose to remove their stupidity, ignorance, and pure greed in May by voting at the local election.
Please tell me you don’t actually believe that? This conservative stronghold will be so forever. But even if the island voted a different way people would still have there bank siphoned in exactly the same way.
really? thats strange – I remember a few years ago a concerted effort was made to remove the conservatives under David Pugh.
We have had liberal and labour MPs in the past.
never labour – islanders never want it, thankfully
from the island labour site…
1919 – The Isle of Wight Labour Party is formed
2017 – June. Island Labour received a historic 17,121 votes in the General Election, moving into second place for the first time since 1970, receiving our highest number of votes since 1959 and getting our highest share of the vote since 1966.
…………
no mention of any island labour mp
vote you in should we…
Thay should spend the money on more mobile cameras, because local drivers will slow down anyway when the fixed cameras are fitted.
Where hi-tech mobile cameras could easily be hidden at random locations on the Island highways, I suggest that that would be money better spent.
As now the only two roads chosen for the ‘average’ speed cameras will be driven within the law, YET all other roads will be KNOWN to be camera free by the speeding drivers.
Just moving the issue to other places without at least having random hidden camera sites on other roads even if occasionally is typical short sighted view of this bunch in power.
Remember this, yet ANOTHER waste of OUR, not ‘their’ money, and vote accordingly in May.
Laws says they aren’t allowed to be hidden.
Would be great, BUT the Island would not get the money from the fines…
Ridiculously expensive sledge hammer to crack this nut. There must be more modern solutions to the problem of local speeding in known hot-spots – webcams, ANPR, policeman (remember them?) with hand radar gun…
That’s the military road. People speeding out there probably saves lives. All the while these people only kill themselves there’s no issue.
So the council want to install the cameras at a ridiculous price and supposedly They are getting nothing back surely that money could go a long way to help other problems on the island like the homeless and other charities that need the help just to keep going
Looking at trouble in Calvert’s hotel and shanklin last year, it’s inappropriate to waste hard pressed poll tax on homeless. Or speed cameras in a remote area.
I think DS needs to rein it in; speeding is a police matter and not council business. It never amazes me how DS and chums continue to waste public money. If the police can find the time and resources to hide in bushes whilst trying to catch people in cars using their phones they should also have the time to catch speeding motorists. It’s not like the armed response unit are being overwhelmed with gun crime
Given the average cost of installing speed cameras is £40,000 in rural areas as of 2019, and assuming that 2 cameras make up an average speed camera, the cost comes to £160,000.
Lets be generous and say another £40,000 will be spent digging trenches and laying power and data cable along the military road, thats £200,000.
Can I have the other £100,000 in a brown envelope please? In return I wont tell anyone that the costs of installing speed cameras are easy to search for on the internet.
More backward thinking from our leaders. Honestly is there anyone within county hall with half a brain cell?! This isn’t the solution.it’s a waste of money the council can ill afford. I can list several areas that a mobile police unit can sit up and catch persistent speeders, I’ve brought this to the attention of the police?! They didn’t want to know. Yet still sit in the usual places. They too are brain dead.
They can’t hide. They have to use pre-approved locations.
It’s ridiculous?! Police are like marshmallows nowadays, can’t think for themselves or police without getting permission from command first. Who on earth would want to be a copper in today’s world.
If Government want to earn more money and make roads a bit safer, make a drivers licence last only ten years. Then to renew one must re do the test and pay the price.
Most drivers will slow down for cameras but then speed up after,also not speeding driver’s the risk, it’s the amount of drivers no license,no insurance , stolen car and drug /drink and courts that let them off with £85 fine £35 costs that’s less than most pay for road tax – what’s point banning them 5x when didn’t have license in 1st place.
Fred, you are missing the point on your first comment. Yet the rest of what you say is correct.
The average speed camera records the ‘time’ you pass the first one, and then the time you pass the last one.
Thus the entire time taken to pass the two is calculated and your average speed is worked out, so IF on a 30 limit, you could drive 40mph for half the journey, so LONG as you drove at 20mph the rest of the way.
What the speeding ‘club’ will do will be on the milly rd, will be to drive very fast then meet up in a car park for a chat, then drive like crazy the rest of the road, thus STILL be ‘seen’ to be driving within the law.
100% agree! Unless they install an array of cameras that’s exactly how to defeat the system.
You don’t actually believe that do you. Wow. Thousands of speeders but a few yobs stealing cars and driving without insurance is the problem. Come on man open your eyes.
so the council want island residents to pay for cameras to be used against island residents to rinse more money out of island residents. Are these w^^kers for real
Should be spend on the roads, pot holes every where, the ones that are fixed open up within days/weeks even on the roads that have been renewed
former councillor John Gilbey decided to save £250,000 from the PFI roads project. In doing so, he took away the clause that states roads must be up to a high standard and last for 7 years without substantial maintenance at the end of the contract – the gold standard.
When I asked him about it around the time of the last local elections, he claimed that it was in his past and not relevant. He got rather irate when I pointed out that his record as a councillor was very much relevant, and that his terrible record should prevent him ever holding office again
ha 7 years dont even last 2 roads are total shite
Need to make southern vectis use smaller buses. Its the buses and heavy vehicles that do it.
no, the busses and lorries are fine.
We were promised by Eddie Giles and David Pugh that the road network would be “virtually rebuilt”.
Instead its a skim and surface, with old road beds and in some places cart tracks remaining underneath.
Lies to get the PFI introduced, then downgrade the contract to save money.
report the holes to Island Roads, they will fill them asap… if hole reappears call again, and again.. simples !
we shouldnt have to. Had Gilby done his job properly, and Giles and Pugh not lied, we would be starting to get decent roads.
Of course, if the current shambles imposed the contract fines and penalties every time Island Roads failed to achieve their contracted targets, perhaps they would do a better job.
its about time
and it will catch No tax No mot No ins
No it wont as they are average speed cameras not ANPR.
you are funny…. how would an average speed camera work if it did not read the number plate… what you think.. silver car… black car… yellow car…. ha ha h ah a!! BUT motorcycles will be okay unless they get some that take a rear recording !!
ANPR, will tell all…
nope
Utter madness. How dare these idiots waste £300,000 of OUR money.
because a majority elected them. vote for someone else.
And sadly will AGAIN as the lazy never bother to vote, yet the well to do, mostly will.
Apply now for a postal-vote, totally free and you just fill it in and post it. No need to risk illness or even get wet.
nah – we voted for bob, because despite his faults, he is better than the rest and isn’t going to push for loony left policies, like liebour do or idiotic ones, like the liberals do ..the rest are just unelectable as well
It’s not your money bob. You handed it over willingly. Now its theirs. You get 2 chances to stop the council spendinf “our money” in ways you don’t approve of. Election day and pay day.
taxation is not handing over money willingly.
simples, look at St Mary’s roadworks… or how about that silly Chain ferry !!
Get them in for the races, should make a fortune.
we have a car that parks up about 9am very day NO tax NO mot. red VW OV 52 YMG
phone the police
They aren’t interested I’ve reported loads in gov website nothing is ever done
there not bothered
If it has no tax or mot the driver can’t be insured. Go down the no insurance route and they’ll be like flies on shit.
You can’t report no insurance online as there’s no way of checking it unfortunately.
Wow, so they want to invest in something they get no return from but want us muppets to pay for it. Burning the council offices down is becoming a great idea
Houses of Parliament… better idea !! Maybe store gunpowder under bridge..
This Council are so out of touch with most Islanders. Let’s hope that the people who see their flaws and find the effort to complain on here and other social media ‘bother’ to vote in May local elections.
I actually think the council are at least half in tune with most islanders. Most Islanders would like to see speeding drivers caught and fined, or preferably deterred from speeding in the first place.
However, most Islanders dont want the council spending £300,000 to do it, begging the question what would they like the council to spend money on.
I suspect most people moaning will actually vote. The problem is that a lot of them will vote Tory because they think better the devil you know and they will be conned by the £50,000 just announced to find out why the Island has higher costs than the mainland. Its what tories do – con the electorate by lying, then lie some more to get elected. They actually think we have forgotten Bozo promising an Island Deal.
so ?? you are a socialist, hand wringing do gooder – quelle surprise
it doesn’t matter what speed limit sign someone puts up – it will never, ever be adhered to by a signficant number of people – these cameras are just there to rinse people for cash, nothing more.
nope, im just a person with some common sense.
If you want people to obey speed limits, then cameras are needed. I question if £300,000 is too much, but cameras are needed.
The people who break the speed limit on the military road will also do so elsewhere. Lets hope they are caught before they kill someone, and lets hope these cameras help do it.
Shut the front door ?! £300,000 ?! Someones having a giggle ! At our expense.
Spend our money and the fines go to the mainland, that really makes sense. Next they’ll be asking us to contribute to help them go to court over the floating bridge scandal and then decide to scrap it anyhow
Sigh, its not your money once you’ve handed it over. You get 2 chances to stop the ridiculous council spending. Election day and pay day. “Our money” is a lie. It’s their money.
And this is from a Council who keep telling us they got to put the Council tax up as they got no money well they found money for there pay rise and now mobile speed cameras this council are worse then parasites and with parasites you can get rid of them
So basically they’re spending £300,000 and still no deterrents for cars speeding in residential areas. Waste of time on Military Road as many posters have said, because everyone will know where they are.
Why is it always motorbikes in the words cars are speeding all the time motorcycle s cause hardly any accidents cars weight on average 2 ton they cause more damage than a bike . they need the speed cameras in the residential areas that’s were the accidents happen in the 30 and 40 limits
I have to agree. It’s not the lives of speeders we need to be saving its the innocents they take with them.
its not cars, its not motorbikes, its idiot drivers whatever they are driving.
Ive nearly hit motorbikes who pull out when they shouldnt. Same with cars. I have had both fail to give way on roundabouts, seen both jump red lights, seen both driving like idiots.
Then again Ive seen plenty of cars and bikes driven sensibly, with consideration.
Its not the type of vehicle, its the idiot driving it.
Total crap a lot of drivers just shouldn’t drive they have one headlight don’t use the mirrors and cut corners and drive over the centre line of the road when the police going to sort that never
How about, they stop spending our money on ridiculously stupidly expensive crap like this that will be an ongoing cost to maintain and we all get to keep our own money by not having crippling Council tax rises!!!!!
Like signs for instance that tell me how fast I am driving….. I have a freaking speedo right in front of me for that purpose!!!!! Aaaaargh!!! Waste of money!
I hate when people say “our money” if you disagree with how the money you agreed to give to the council and the government at large is spent, retain it. It’s very simple. Once you’ve given it to them you no longer get a say in what’s done with it.
They have these at known speeding points on mainland, like cat and fiddle snake pass and so on.
All it done was move the speeders to more dangerous roads. And they are a horrible blot on the landscape.
They won’t let you paint your home a horrid colour, say, but it’s fine to plant these bright yellow poles wherever they choose….. because they are the council and are far more clever than us.
300k would open up the much needed toilets that are closed up around isle.
Oh forgot, they have also got to put up warning signs also, telling all the cameras are there.
More road signs littering up one of the country’s best coastal roads.
But we have all just been stung for another 7.1% police precept so what is that triple the rate of inflation bonanza going to be spent on(as if we didn’t already know)? The civil service bureaucrats from Whitehall all the way down to local town halls are living like kings on our money and no matter who you vote for politically, the civil servants who really make all the decisions are always still there and always running their own agenda untouched by the veneer of democracy
“Paid for by islanders” I’m afraid not. It would be paid for by the isle of wight council who get most of their income from central goverment. This is why i rarely look at the ‘islandecho’.
6 of these have been put up in a beautiful part of South Wales around 6-7 years ago.
To this day they still haven’t been turned on due to various reasons from the software not complaint with regulations to the salt air killing the cameras.
Why should I have to pay an extra 5% on my council tax when the council can waste £300000 on two completely unnecessary speed cameras?
If you want to open your car up down military road just swop your number plates over.
then pull over for the police and explain why you have number plates for a different vehicle on your car.
If you want to speed, book a day at a racetrack where the only things you can damage are the tyre wall and yourself.
Seems stupid to be spending £300, 000 and not get anything back. What is wrong with replacing some of the old cameras…
Many know there are not any police free to stop speeding vehicles, that is why they are racing around the towns, and those idiots that have multi coloured lights on front of car, lit, on public streets… YOU ARE NOT INSURED….
I even saw a car with RED halo lights on front of car LIT… what brain do they have ? NONE I think.. Many have Blue lights and on motorcycles, if they are lit on public road, you are not insured.. idiots..
You obviously do not realise, if front lights are different than WHITE, oncoming drivers will look at your lights, and that is dangerous..
How about the idiots at night that pull over on opposite side of road with headlights still lit, to either run into shop or drop someone off… Do you not realise oncoming drivers cannot see… your headlights are aimed straight at the oncoming driver.. TAXI DRIVERS and DELIVERY DRIVERS.. mainly..
How well can you see if a bright torch is shinning in your eyes…. that is what it can be like !! Idiots…
Biggest news is anyone managed more than a snails pace due to shocking roads….forget the cameras…open it up like a racetrack….if it bothers you…move elsewhere and be boring there!
or keep the road open for everyone, obey the speed limit, dont tell people where they should move, and stop being a moron.
If 60 isnt fast enough for you, go book a day at a racetrack where you can kill yourself without harming anyone else.
If the IW Council want to make serious money.
Just stick a Camera along BRADING HIGH STREET.
Where it clearly states NO RIGHT TURN on the SIGN going into
West Street
The Council would do well, and could pump this money into the NHS
EITHER SO MANY MOTORISTS DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE HIGHWAY CODE or they Just like BREAKING THE LAW!
This has been happening for years, what a wasted opportunity!
The mind boggles we have raging pandemic many island businesses on the verge off collapse 5%increase in council tax and they still want to waste this amount of money
The council certainly know how to waste our money, cameras were only taken down on the island a short while ago and now wanna spend £300.000 to put em back, complete idiots. It’s like watching the muppet show
here we go again total wxxkers as per usual £300.000 fuxxking grand more cost to us again and they want the bike racing to come to the island …that wont happen anyway..wxxkers