Wandsworth council becomes first local authority in country to use speed cameras
By Charlotte Lillywhite, Local Democracy Reporter
A council has become the first in the country to set up speed cameras to fine drivers breaking 20mph speed limits.
Wandsworth council has launched the landmark scheme which will see the authority dish out £130 fines to motorists breaking the rules in two of the borough’s busiest roads.
The trial scheme will initially last for eight months in Wimbledon Park Lane and Priory Lane.
The move could be made permanent and extended to other roads in Wandsworth – and rolled out across the capital if successful.
Drivers caught breaking the 20mph speed limit will face fines up to £130, which will be halved if the fixed penalty charge is paid within 14 days.
The Met have, until now, fined London drivers for breaking speed limits, but the council decided to step in after revealing most of the complaints it receives were about motorists breaching the rules in quieter residential streets.
The authority added that the police tended to concentrate on main roads and dual carriageways.
Under the pilot, drivers caught by the council also will not have points added to their licence or be made to go to a speed awareness course.
A fresh traffic survey by the council indicated that 52 per cent of vehicles exceed 20mph in Wimbledon Park Road.
A statement on the council’s website said: “Since the introduction of a borough-wide 20mph speed limit, we regularly receive residents’ feedback concerning speeding vehicles, therefore we are taking a proactive approach through this enforcement pilot to encourage speed compliance and ultimately road safety.
“Income from traffic enforcement is ringfenced for transport-related projects and is reinvested into the transport infrastructure, for example, highway maintenance that supports the community at large and concessionary travel, which offers free bus and Tube travel for elderly and disabled residents.”
Pictured top: Wandsworth Town Hall (Picture: Google Street View)
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