New speed cameras go up in 20mph zone

New speed cameras have gone up in Plymouth. Contactors have attached cameras and new lights to lampposts in the Stoke[1] area which has been designated a new 20mph zone. Cameras have gone up in two locations in Wilton Street, on Molesworth Road and Wingfield Way already with more to follow.

The yellow cameras are not live yet and will not be activated until signage is put in place telling motorists they are there. In total there will be 10 speed cameras installed[2] to police the new 20mph zone. The average speed cameras will be dotted around roads around Stoke, Millbridge and Eldad Hill - and include three cameras inside the zone.

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Two cameras are expected to be set up in Stuart Road, one near the railway arch and another at the junction with De La Hay Avenue, and there will be three on Wilton Street, one near the Stuart Road junction, one near the traffic lights and another at the junction with Fellowes Place. There will be two cameras in Molesworth Road, one near Stoke Damerel Park and another near the traffic lights. There will also be cameras on Eldad Hill, Valletort Road and Wingfield Way.

Plymouth City Council[3] said it is paying GBP125,000 for the cameras but they will be operated by the police. The 20mph zone is being set up around a new Mill Bridge pedestrian and cycle crossing, currently under construction, although the council is now stressing that the zone is also to provide safety for children going to and from Stuart Road Primary Academy. Stoke Damerel Community College is just outside the zone, as is Devonport[4] High School for Boys.

City College Plymouth and Stoke Damerel Primary Academy are outside the zone too. Construction of the crossing and footway works began in January and were expected to take around 10 to 12 weeks. They are still ongoing.

A Plymouth City Council spokesperson said: "The crossing over Mill Bridge will be a combined parallel (zebra) crossing for both pedestrians and cyclists. It will not be controlled by traffic signals."

The new speed limit is expected to be in place from next month and cover more than 20 streets. The council wants to extend it to cover an even larger area, in Stonehouse[5], in the next two years.

The scheme has already proved controversial with a wave of opposition from around the city. A consultation carried out last year resulted in 166 people in favour of the project and 163 against. The petition "stop the 20mph zone in Plymouth" received 2,469 signatures[6].

The council has denied that the zone is a money-making scheme[7], although it has faced criticism that it is a "hunting ground"[8] for motorists. The council stressed it is a safety scheme and that residents in the area had reported excessive speeds, accidents and near misses, particularly for children and their families travelling to and from school.

The council said speed measurement begins when a vehicle passes a camera, which records the number plate together with a time stamp. When the vehicle exits the road section, the number plate is re-captured by an average speed camera.

The two anonymous data records are compared and an average speed calculated to give evidence of speeding. The council said vehicles passing the cameras which have not exceeded the average speed limit will have their number plate data and vehicle images automatically deleted.

The authority stressed the average speed cameras comply with data protection regulations by saving number plates only for speeding vehicles. In such cases, the system can capture rear and front images to uniquely identify the driver when required.

The data is transmitted only to the police. The council was unable to say whether a driver could end up with more than one speeding ticket from a single journey through the zone and said questions regarding enforcement need to be addressed by the police, who operate the cameras. But the authority advised anyone driving within the zone to stick to the speed limit throughout the whole zone to avoid the risk of being issued with a fine.

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References

1. ^ Stoke (www.plymouthherald.co.uk)
2. ^ there will be 10 speed cameras installed (www.plymouthherald.co.uk)
3. ^ Plymouth City Council (www.plymouthherald.co.uk)
4. ^ Devonport (www.plymouthherald.co.uk)
5. ^ Stonehouse (www.plymouthherald.co.uk)
6. ^ received 2,469 signatures (www.plymouthherald.co.uk)
7. ^ denied that the zone is a money-making scheme (www.plymouthherald.co.uk)
8. ^ criticism that it is a "hunting ground" (www.plymouthherald.co.uk)
9. ^ Click here (chat.whatsapp.com)
10. ^ Privacy Notice (www.reachplc.com)