Surveillance

They are just starting roadworks on the A27 near Havant and Emsworth. There have been about two weeks preparation on putting up average speed cameras. The works are due to finish in December, the distance is between one and two miles and I must assume that the cameras are part of the Highways agencies budget, which is part of the road tax we pay. I cannot guess how much it is to install these cameras and they will be taken away when the roadworks finish but I do not think they will recover the cost of installation in fines. This seems to me a total waste of our road tax. The work could have begun earlier without the camera installation finished earlier and saved money. Today the eastbound carriageway was coned off and no one on site and causing a lot of congestion. No doubt the Highways Agency says it is all in the interests of safety that is rubbish. If they put up the signs that warn you what speed you are doing and had the occasional policeman with the gun that would be a lot more sensible.

Asked on 7 November 2009 by

Answered by Honest John

This is caused by Health and Safety jobsworths who are costing the country a fortune we can ill afford in justifying their own employment. Most roadworks in the UK could be completed in less than 25% of the time it takes and for less than 25% of the cost if procedures used in other countries like the USA were adopted. But there is no guarantee that the average speed cameras will be taken down afterwards. At the temporary lane marking experiment at the J2 M3 / J10 M25 junction (to compensate for badly sited feeder lanes from the M25), the job is finished, but the 50 limit and average speed cameras have been kept in place. They did this before on a short stretch from the Chertsey roundabout to J11 of the M25. They put in temporary 50 limit for barrier work, then left it in place afterwards, for no reason I can see. It's almost universally ignored. But, of course, one day they'll spring a revenue-raising trap on it.

Tags: speed cameras driving roadworks

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