Mayor Dave Hodgson has slammed the government’s decision to continue to retain all revenue from fines generated by average speed cameras.
His view was echoed by Green councillor, Ben Foley, who said the money should be used to improve local road safety.
Earlier this month, the mayor wrote to the Secretary of State for Transport calling on the government to return the fines from average speed cameras to Bedford Borough Council to allow reinvestment in road safety measures.
The government has refused this call and instead will continue to retain all the money from fines generated by average speed cameras.
This means that Bedford Borough residents will not see a penny of these funds invested into new road safety measures.
Mayor Dave Hodgson said: “I’m very disappointed in the response from government. It is essential that all road users feel safe on our roads and we are making good progress but it is difficult when we are being held back by government.
“We are making the investment by installing average speed cameras across the Borough, but then do not receive any money from them to give back to our residents to make our communities feel safer – this doesn’t seem fair to me.”
Bedford Borough Council became the first local authority in the country to introduce average speed cameras on local roads, in 2012. There are now 31 average speed camera sites, which have proven to be very effective at reducing speeds at previously notorious locations for speeding.
In his letter, Mayor Dave explained why the government should reconsider their policy, saying “[the reinvestment] would help to ensure further communities could enjoy the benefits of measures such as average speed cameras, with the reduction in noise, air pollution and dangerous speeding that they bring about.
“There would be a clear sense of fairness in using the fines caused by excessive speed to make further neighbourhoods and communities in the local area safer.”
An incorrect, yet widely-held belief, is that speed cameras generate revenue for the council.
The mayor suggests that funds raised from speeding fines should be ring-fenced by the government and returned to the Borough to provide better road safety.
“The use of the funds raised by fines for this purpose would increase confidence further that the cameras are genuinely intended solely to enhance public safety, and not for revenue-raising or any other purposes,” he said.
Cllr Ben Foley (Green party) agreed that fines from average speed cameras should go to Bedford Borough Council, rather than the national Government.
“Evidence shows that average speed cameras really work, helping reduce speeds and reducing the number of serious crashes,” he said.
“We’d like more of them locally, helping keep people safer. Some people who worry about their real purpose might support speed cameras if the money from speeding fines was ring-fenced.”
Ben said the money should be used to improve road safety locally and to make walking and cycling in Bedford Borough safer and more pleasant.
“We’d like them to fund more, and better, pedestrian crossings and new cycle routes. One problem in Bedford, though, has been that money spent on these things hasn’t always resulted in real improvements. Any new cycle routes must meet high standards.”
