SOCIALIST UNITY

Swindon is in the national news today after the Tory council voted to stop funding speed cameras from next year. As a political activist in the same town I have a passing acquaintance with these Tory councillors, as individuals they are mainly sincere and well intentioned; and in a break from the Thatcher era they are really remarkably non-ideological - just reflecting what they see as “common sense” arguments, so it is tragic that they seem to get their opinoins on road safety matters from watching Top Gear. It is far from irrelevant that Tory Leader of the councilor, Roderick Bluh, is himself a serial offender, who lost his own driving license for three months after gaining 12 points for speeding.

Road traffic deaths are sadly a day to day part of  urban life, and only when it comes close to home do we really notice. Back in march this year, a seven year old boy, Tyrese Hannah, was killed by a car that mounted the pavement, as he walked his dog alongside his mother. Tyrese attended the same primary school as my two sons and every day I pass the tragic roadside shrine where family, friends and neighbours have marked the site of their terrible, inconsolable loss. It was particularly heartbreaking when Tyrese’s birthday came around a few weeks ago, and people left cards and balloons tied to the lamppost.

Every month in the UK there are three children killed on the roads, many more are seriously injured. In 2002 there were 59 fatal car accidents or accidents involving very serious injury for every 100000 people. The figure in London is higher, where there are on average over 5000 deaths or serious debilitating injuries on the roads every year.

In 2005 when I stood for election I looked into this. In just one small area of Swindon, Pinehurst, there are 14 children knocked down by cars every year. About 90 people on average are killed or seriously injured every year in traffic accidents in the Swindon area, and a further 500 are less severely injured in car accidents– mostly these are caused by reckless driving and speeding. In contrast there were just 172 robberies - yet there is a greater fear of robbery than of being involved in a serious car accident.

There is obvious, understandable and necessary concern about paedophiles and child abusers. But the equally grave danger to our children from traffic is treated as if it is a force of nature that we can do nothing about.

The vote by Swindon Borough Council to remove all speed cameras is ostensibly because the conservatives think it unfair that they to pay for the maintenance of the speed cameras but don’t see any of the £1.76m raised in fines from 30,000 drivers caught speeding in the town.

This is a rather dry technical dispute between Swindon Borough Council and the government about funding, because up until April 2007 Local Authorities did receive the fines income, and this paid for the cameras. Now the fines go to a national consolidated fund, and the councils receive back a grant from the Department of Transport for road safety, which is already in addition to the funding provided by the Local Transport Plan Process.

All of which is a long winded way of saying that on financial grounds, the council are making a big fuss about nothing. The mechanism of funding has changed, but they are not really out of pocket. Ironically, the reason the fines started to go to central government was due to lobbying by motorists organisations, who said (not without reason) that no single authority should both make the decisions on where the cameras are sited, and also receive the income - as this creates a conflict of interest.

It is of course arguable that Speed cameras are not the most effective way of calming traffic, but that doesn’t mean they should be removed, as they can and should be used in parallel with other mechanisms.

What the Tories have done is disgraceful. A clear political message needs to be sent out that our high speed culture is irresponsible, wrong and dangerous. Instead the Tories are saying that road safety is a low priority for them. Indeed, the report on Virgin media quotes Tory councillor Peter Greenhalgh, head of highways, transport and strategic planning for Swindon, saying:

“They are being used as a cash cow. I do take exception to the positioning of some mobile speed cameras. They are designed to raise revenue. I think enough is enough. There are much more important things we as a council should do instead of acting as a law enforcement arm of this Government.”

The “cash cow” argument is of course ridiculous becasue this is not a tax on motorists, but a punishment for people who are breaking the law and driving dangerously too fast. The Tories pretend to be the party of law and order, but collude in minimising the anti-social nature of speeding, perhaps we should say to them: “If you can’t pay the fine, don’t do the crime”.