Chris Lofts

Liberal Democrat Councillor for Towcester Brook Ward Learn more

Conservative cuts to speed cameras cost lives

by Chris Lofts on 12 April, 2012

The Liberal Democrat Official Opposition at Northamptonshire County Council have reacted with astonishment and anger after the Conservative Cabinet Member for Transport attempted to blame the police for switching off speed cameras in the County and claimed he would “not have encouraged” the move.

Leader of the Opposition, Cllr Brendan Glynane said “It was the Conservative decision not to fund the Casualty Reduction Partnership that was directly responsible for speed cameras being switched off across the county. They can’t pretend it was nothing to do with them and wash their hands of it now! The Conservatives hypocrisy is astonishing.”

“We warned the Conservatives last year that switching off cameras led to a massive increase in deaths and serious injuries in neighbouring Oxfordshire and that the decision to cut the speed camera money would be extremely risky and put lives at risk. Now we see the tragic results – an increase in lives lost last year to 28 and 14 deaths in the first three months alone this year.”

Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesman, Cllr Chris Lofts said “Last year the previous Conservative Cabinet Member told the local press “even if I did have a million pounds I wouldn’t spend it on safety cameras”. Now the new Conservative Cabinet Member says it was a mistake and they were wrong. He claims that he “would not have encouraged” the decision, yet he was part of a Conservative Cabinet that cut the money and he, personally, voted not to fund the speed cameras.”

“The Conservatives simply can not have it both ways. The truth is they didn’t fund cameras, they were warned about what had happened in Oxfordshire (where the Conservatives had to switch cameras back on after a 50% increase in deaths on the roads), and now they are trying to hoodwink the public and pretend it was nothing to do with them in the first place! The Conservatives should have listened to us last year. Now they should heed the lesson from their colleagues in Oxfordshire and switch the cameras back on.”

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