Average speed cameras still in ‘final stage of testing’

AVERAGE speed cameras on the Gisburn to Long Preston road are still to be switched on - more than a year after they were supposed to 'go live'. Lancashire County Council installed the cameras on the A682, which has a history of serious accidents, from Gisburn to the North Yorkshire boundary at Nappa at the start of 2024 as part of a package of safety measures along the road costing around ?449,000. The money came from ?7.9million from the Department for Transport's Safer Roads Programme.

Safety measures also included solar-powered road studs to highlight the centreline, and rumble strips to highlight the edge of the road over a 13km stretch, with the average speed cameras expected to become operational in the spring of last year. Since then, the county council has repeatedly said the cameras are still undergoing testing and will be handed over to the Lancashire Constabulary once they are operational. In February, the council told the Craven Herald the cameras were in the 'final stage' of testing.

ADVERTISEMENT In an update, a spokesperson for Lancashire County Council said the cameras were still in their final stage of testing and was not able to say when they would be turned on. The spokesperson said: "Our new speed cameras on the A682 Gisburn to North Yorkshire boundary are still in the final phase of testing and are part a package of safety improvements on various A-roads that have a history of serious incidents.

"The cameras are going through a rigorous technical testing phase to ensure they are operating in line with the required standards. This process takes time to ensure that everything is operating correctly. "When this has been completed and all required technical requirements have been met then the cameras will go live and will be handed over to Lancashire Constabulary.

"We would like to once again thank the public for their patience while we make these important safety improvements." ADVERTISEMENT Lobby group Liaison for Average and Fixed Speed Cameras North Yorkshire, started by Gillian Taylor, who lives in Cowling, is calling for North Yorkshire Police to change its policy and install fixed and average speed cameras in the county.

There are 43 parish and town councils in the lobby group, including Cowling, Bentham, Cononley and Gargrave.

The group argues that average and fixed cameras are more effective than the police safety camera vans used by North Yorkshire Police.