Swindon Borough Council may be causing a real stir. They are threatening to withdraw from the local Safety Camera Partnership, unless the Government allows them some or all of the revenue generated from speed camera fines.
When, early in the Blair reign, speed cameras were first touted, local authorities were assured that the revenue would be ring-fenced to finance more road safety measures. (Perhaps this was to allay the suspicions that many had about speed cameras.)
Later, when the Department for Transport introduced the Safety Camera Partnerships,comprising councils, police etc., the promise was forgotten, but about 15% or revenue was retained for the Partnership for additional road safety measures. The remainder was designated for Chancellor Brown and his many schemes.
Swindon are rebelling because although they must pay for the cameras and the scheme, any profits are siphoned off to central (Treasury) coffers. They also resent the fact that local government is becoming local management, that is on behalf of central government. This is true generally and also particularly in the speed camera operations.
So they want more say, as people who know traffic problems best, and they want more revenue. The challenge will be there for Westminster!
They will know, from the Government response, if they have been merely used as agents to collect stealth taxes for the Government, rather than conducting sensible safety policies for their area.
Oh, by the way, Swindon Council is Conservative controlled.
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2 comments:
I wouldn't mind my fines so much if they went to the local community, but to read that most goes to Brown, for him to waste it, just gets to me!
Always suspected the real reason for the cameras was Brown's need fror money.
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