Speed cameras in Portsmouth are not working and should be removed, a local councillor has claimed. Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, leader of Portsmouth City Council, has reportedly met senior council figures from across the county to discuss how speed cameras are used in the future.
He said Portsmouth's seven fixed cameras only have a small impact on speeding drivers and should be replaced by mobile cameras. Recently Swindon Borough Council voiced concerns over the effectiveness of speed cameras and will vote next month whether to stop funding them.
Cllr Vernon-Jackson said the council should cancel its £380,000 annual funding to the partnership and instead negotiate directly with police over how to target speeders more effectively. 'The whole point of the Safer Roads Partnership was to reduce speeds across our area and we don't feel the fixed cameras are doing that effectively enough,’ he told Portsmouth Today.'Cameras are a deterrent and make people slow down but then they speed up and shoot off again. 'People thinking that the police are out and about everywhere doing speed checks would be a far better deterrent than a camera.'
Cllr Vernon-Jackson is understood to be meeting Portsmouth police on Friday to discuss the changes.