Why are A127 speed cameras not working? (From Echo)
Get involved: send your pictures, video, news and views by texting ECHONEWS to 80360, or email us »
Why are A127 speed cameras not working?
6:00pm Thursday 19th February 2009 in
FURIOUS motorists have criticised Essex County Council for refusing to say why the A127’s new £1.2million average speed cameras are not working properly.
Yesterday the Echo reported the council had not issued any tickets since the controversial cameras were introduced a month ago.
Speed Check Services, the company which installed the cameras, said the problem was not to do with the cameras.
But, Norman Hume, county councillor responsible for highways, has now said the cameras were at fault. He said: “There have been some minor technical issues with some individual cameras.”
Mr Hume refused to say what the problems were to the frustration of drivers using the road.
Motorists have said the latest problems undermined the whole project.
Trevor Izard, 36, from Southend, who has organised petitions against the speed cameras, said: “If they can’t get the cameras to work and can’t prove someone has broken the speed limit, can they be relied on?”
Furious cabbie Anthony Gower, 59, of Acacia Drive, Thorpe Bay, said: “This just adds to the whole fiasco.
“It’s nonsense and its symptomatic of everything in this country where you have people in positions of power who are can’t admit they’re wrong.”
But while Mr Hume refused to elaborate on what the “technical problems” were, he said the project was proving a success. He said: “We have already seen improvements in drivers’ behaviour as a result of this scheme.”
Comments(22)
Bosniavet
says...
7:19pm Thu 19 Feb 09
evilc
says...
7:25pm Thu 19 Feb 09
How can a road with signs saying 50 AND National speed limit in the same stretch be classed as making the road safer?
Without doubt this fiasco has turned that road into probably the most dangerous road in thw bloody world because god knows the the limit is!!!
I believe persons invloved in an RTA would have good grounds for claiming damages off ECC.
nigeltheduck
says...
7:42pm Thu 19 Feb 09
Leonard
says...
9:25pm Thu 19 Feb 09
Radar Ears
says...
9:35pm Thu 19 Feb 09
nigeltheduck wrote:No, you're not the only one, I think they're clear too.
evilc - with all due respect if people are licensed to drive then they should be able to read the signs!! Am I the only person in Southend that thinks the signage is clear enough. What else do people want? The only thing making this road dangerous is the morons who can't drive properly which has always been the case!!
It's obvious to a blind ferret that when the speed changes from say, 50mph to the national limit, on the same road, it will have both bl--dy signs on it!
They're not next to each other for Heaven's sake.
Listen to Mummy now,
When there is a big number showing
50 in a circle, you can't go above 50 miles per hour - ok ?
When there is a circle with a BIG black strip running through it, it means you can increase your speed a little bit, only to 70 miles an hour though.
Now, repeat after me .............
siddymint
says...
7:32am Fri 20 Feb 09
thinking as many others are find another route, it may take longer but no stress. I'm also wondering what if I removed my front number plate and claimed I'm a 4 wheel motorcycle
Ian P
says...
7:51am Fri 20 Feb 09
50 in a circle, you can't go above 50 miles per hour - ok ?"
Oh yes you can, but big brother will be watching and one day may be in the position of actually sending you a speeding ticket.
Bosniavet
says...
8:18am Fri 20 Feb 09
Ian P wrote:Ian P - what you say is correct, but if there is a large white circle with a boad black stripe placed diagonally across it, then it means the national speed limit (60mph on single lane & 70mph on dual carriageways & motorways) applies, & people have very clearly stated that these signs are still on display. What has been said is that there is confusion as both signs are still present.
"When there is a big number showing 50 in a circle, you can't go above 50 miles per hour - ok ?" Oh yes you can, but big brother will be watching and one day may be in the position of actually sending you a speeding ticket.
Whilst I do not agree with the imposition of the new limit (& have stated here before that it will not stop those with illegally registered or used vehicles from continuing to break the limit), I will obey it, regardless of whether the cameras work or not.
modorator
says...
8:55am Fri 20 Feb 09
Ian P
says...
12:32pm Fri 20 Feb 09
Bosniavet wrote:My comment was meant very "tongue in cheek". Radar Ears stated that when a 50mph sign is displayed you can't drive any faster and I pointed out that you can actually drive faster; but of course you would then be speeding.
Ian P wrote: "When there is a big number showing 50 in a circle, you can't go above 50 miles per hour - ok ?" Oh yes you can, but big brother will be watching and one day may be in the position of actually sending you a speeding ticket.Ian P - what you say is correct, but if there is a large white circle with a boad black stripe placed diagonally across it, then it means the national speed limit (60mph on single lane & 70mph on dual carriageways & motorways) applies, & people have very clearly stated that these signs are still on display. What has been said is that there is confusion as both signs are still present. Whilst I do not agree with the imposition of the new limit (& have stated here before that it will not stop those with illegally registered or used vehicles from continuing to break the limit), I will obey it, regardless of whether the cameras work or not.
I keep reading that there are national speed limit & 50mph signs, within the area covered by the cameras, which is correct. The cameras cover the stretch between Basildon & the Southend border. However, the section between Basildon and approximately the Dick Turpin Pub is still 70mph. Only the section between the Dick Turpin Pub and the Southend border is 50mph. Hence both the signs are on display. I am struggling to understand the issue?
the.transporter
says...
1:04pm Fri 20 Feb 09
Now you have to worry about when the speed changes and your speed, twice as much time taken away from looking where you are going...
techmd
says...
1:27pm Fri 20 Feb 09
My point would be that a lot of accidents around this stretch are caused by people trying to cross the road , perhaps ECC should think about spending some money on ways to make crossing @ particular points safer. Also why not just before the 50 speed limit don't they have a big flashing 'Slow Down 50' sign, unless of course this is purely just a revenue making exercise.
ST 1
says...
1:46pm Fri 20 Feb 09
Southend-bound in the evenings I find the inside lane is nose to tail, dead on 50mph, with little gap between vehicles if you want to change lanes. In the past you would have had the choice of accelerating past a cluster of vehicles into a safe space, whereas now all you can do is hope someone will back off and let you in, force your way across into a gap that is too small, or slow down and wait for the vehicles in the inside lane to pass you before moving over.
In general I feel the road is less safe than before the limit change.
As for the signs, It's easy to miss the new signs as you leave a roundabout to enter the on-slip roads, as these junctions require a lot of attention from the driver. You may not see a repeater sign until you're quite a distance down the A127. I think people also often miss the new signs where the limit changes, as there are side roads and garden centres etc. in this area, which again require attention. This applies in both directions, the car I followed this morning clearly had no idea when the limit returned to 70mph, and so continued to drive at 50mph right up to the A132 junction.
thelonewhinger
says...
1:54pm Fri 20 Feb 09
I would even question any improvement in safety as we have seen several minor shunts and more fatalities on the A127 since these "miracle cameras", as some would have us believe, were introduced.
Lastly we can do without the sanctimonious drivel spouted by "Radar Ears". The signs are ill- placed and contravene regulations. For £1.2m spent on something many of us agree is unlikely to improve anything, details like this should have been dealt with from the start.
the.transporter
says...
2:53pm Fri 20 Feb 09
modorator wrote:I'm with you on the Policemen part, adding to that ANPR cars included and you catch more people than just the camera's
If ECC can spend £1.2m on these cameras would it not make more sense to actually put policemen in cars (radical) to effectively enforce the existing speed limits and exercise sensible judgement on how to deal with speeders - thats what policemen used to do!
Ivanna Goodhump
says...
3:06pm Fri 20 Feb 09
ST 1 wrote:Absolutely.
My experience with the new speed limit is that London bound in the morning, the new limit has not improved the traffic flow, which is still given to sudden braking (which was the cause of most of the minor shunts along this stretch). Maximum speeds have not changed because you could rarely reach 50mph anyway. Traffic also seems more bunched up, making it hard to join the A127. I have noticed that the traffic on the "on-slip" seems to tailback more, often onto the roundabouts beneath the A127, causing more jams at these junctions. Southend-bound in the evenings I find the inside lane is nose to tail, dead on 50mph, with little gap between vehicles if you want to change lanes. In the past you would have had the choice of accelerating past a cluster of vehicles into a safe space, whereas now all you can do is hope someone will back off and let you in, force your way across into a gap that is too small, or slow down and wait for the vehicles in the inside lane to pass you before moving over. In general I feel the road is less safe than before the limit change. As for the signs, It's easy to miss the new signs as you leave a roundabout to enter the on-slip roads, as these junctions require a lot of attention from the driver. You may not see a repeater sign until you're quite a distance down the A127. I think people also often miss the new signs where the limit changes, as there are side roads and garden centres etc. in this area, which again require attention. This applies in both directions, the car I followed this morning clearly had no idea when the limit returned to 70mph, and so continued to drive at 50mph right up to the A132 junction.
It's peverse. The cameras actually make the road more dangerous during the rush hours/busy periods and yet at night /quiet times when it's quite safe to travel faster then 50, you can't.
Nebs
says...
4:37pm Fri 20 Feb 09
ryernnn
says...
6:52pm Fri 20 Feb 09
betty39
says...
2:01am Sat 21 Feb 09
But I've got to say, whilst speeding probably does contribute to accidents, I'm convinced that other factors contribute far more - such as poor driving skills, lack of attention, mobile phones, smoking whilst driving, poor car maintenance, tiredness, DRIVING TOO SLOWLY! Etc.
Seems to me the only ones they can catch on camera are the speeders so they are blamed for everything!
Kirkland
says...
9:12am Sun 22 Feb 09
streetboy75
says...
11:00pm Sun 22 Feb 09
I went p to romford this morning around 11.45 from the A130 were i join the A127, and the road was dead but i still had to plod along at 50, so stupid,
fedup on canvey
says...
4:52pm Mon 23 Feb 09
More News stories
- Emigrating...but we will never forget our Maisie
- Footballer’s thanks to supporters as he takes his first steps
- New classes to cut falls launched by Southend Hospital
- Daughter backs memorial plans for WWII hero
- A glimpse of future at the Grand hotel
- Hollywood blockbuster to be filmed in Southend
- Basildon set for council tax freeze
- Today's Echo
- Sad Jake left outside PDSA
- Warning after little Buster bitten in park
Most popular
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
Comment now! Register or sign in below.
Log in with us
Fields marked with * are mandatory.
Or
Log in with