No appetite for speed cameras over here

Tuesday 19 February 2019

There is no political desire to introduce speed cameras as a way of enforcing new 25mph zones, should they be approved in the States next week.

The presidents of Environment & Infrastructure and Home Affairs have both made it clear that neither of their committees support bringing in speed cameras as a way of policing the new 25mph limits that E&I is proposing.

E&I President Barry Brehaut said: "As far as Environment & Infrastructure is concerned, the vast majority of speed limits proposed are in small green lanes, where we want to keep the amount of street furniture to a bare minimum, so a speed camera may be too incongruous.

Pictured: Deputy Barry Brehaut -"Environment & Infrastructure is not making the case for introducing speed cameras.".

Deputy Brehaut said visual speed detectors - such as the one in place along the 20mph stretch of the Town Seafront - helped to remind people of the speed they are travelling at. 

He said: "What we understand is that people do respond positively to visual prompts and that people generally obey the “smiley boards”."

As they are temporary and mobile, Deputy Brehaut said there was an added advantage in that they can be moved to areas where there have been occurrences of speeding or where there have been traffic accidents. 

Pictured: A 'smiley board'. 

Home Affairs President Mary Lowe clarified her stance on speed cameras on Twitter at the weekend after re-publishing a statement she made last year about E&I speed limit consultation. 

The final part of that statement read: "Revising the speed limits may create a public expectation regarding a level of enforcement that is unlikely to be met within finite police resources. However an investment by E&I in traffic control and management technology linked to an automated fixed to a penalty system could be a partial solution."

Responding to questions, she said the emphasis of that point should be on Guernsey Police not having the resources to meet that public expectation. 

"Happy to clarify, CHA [Committee for Home Affairs] are not in favour of speed cameras.....We have enough, no too much, street furniture on our small island such as signs, poles, traffic lights (unused Route Militaire) without adding speed cameras.

"CHA are pointing out E&I need to consider alternative resources and the significant costs involved as CHA have finite police resources."