Profit making SCP's?

[off_again]

Why are SCP's allowed to make a profit?

Sorry, but maybe I am missing something here. But surely a body setup to promote and enforce safety on our roads shouldnt make a profit. Ok, I accept that the running of the scheme takes money and that this comes out of some of the money they stea-err-sorry take from us.

But Wilts SCP made a profit of over £1,000,000 this last year. What happened to re-investing in all of the road safety schemes that they talk about? What happened to driver training, promotion of safety etc? After everything that they could think of they STILL make a profit? Eh?

Come on, given a budget of £1,000,000 just think about what you could do for lasting safety on our roads? Here are just a few examples:

1) Fix those dangerous junctions - £30k - £60k per junction
2) Promote safer driving to new drivers - £5,000 per year mail shot
3) Re-paint the lines on the road at dangerous points - £100,000
4) Put up some new signs to warn of dangerzones - £30,000 per sign
5) Pay for police overtime for a targetted no-insurance blitz - £100,000
6) Enforcement of driving bans - £50,000
7) Driving training for persistent offenders - £50,000

...


I could go on.... just think about it. £1,000,000 goes a hell of a long way to deal with some of the fundamental problems of road safety. Yet the SCP's plough it straight back into the government. Why?

Directive from central government as form of tax to allow the SCP to operate? maybe its a centrally orchestrated plan for additional revenue collection? Its all looking very bad for the SCP's....

Strange they dont do press releases on this isnt it?

[destroyer]

All reasonable suggestions.

Pop them in a letter to DfT and the Treasury.

The Treasury take the fines and pay Wiltshire their expenses back. Wiltshire see none of that excess.

There is no directive from the Treasury to increase the collection of fines.

[puggit]

off_again, I think you're misunderstanding what SCPs are all about.

They ARE NOT about road safety - they are merely there to catch people speeding and to generate income from this.

I wrote to my SCP (Thames Valley) informing them of a dangerous road junction near to me. I did do this on purpose to gauge reaction.

They wrote back telling me that as speeding was not a problem here, and that the problem lay with the road users and junction layout that I should contact my council instead.

[destroyer]

puggit said:

off_again, I think you're misunderstanding what SCPs are all about. They ARE NOT about road safety - they are merely there to catch people speeding and to generate income from this. I wrote to my SCP (Thames Valley) informing them of a dangerous road junction near to me. I did do this on purpose to gauge reaction. They wrote back telling me that as speeding was not a problem here, and that the problem lay with the road users and junction layout that I should contact my council instead.

They are exactly right. You have written to get a reaction and they talk sense to you. What more do you want?
The correct way to address an item of concern on the road is to write to the Highway Authority responsible for that road. This is either the County Council for non-trunk roads or the Highways Agency for trunk roads. In this case TV Partnership have identified the road as a Council responsibility for you. They have also indicated that they have reviewed that any accidnets occuring their are/may not be speed related and have not put up a non-justified camera.
Now why doesn't this correct action to your provocing letter satisfy you. It seems perfectly reasonable.
After all, it seems a popular belief that not all accidents are caused by speed alone.

[puggit]

So why are they called Thames Valley Safer Roads - and why do they say on their website:

Prats said:

The main aim of the Safer Roads Partnership is to work together to reduce casualties on Thames Valley's roads by deterring speeding and promoting safety - not to prosecute drivers.

[destroyer]

puggit said:

So why are they called Thames Valley Safer Roads - and why do they say on their website: Prats said: The main aim of the Safer Roads Partnership is to work together to reduce casualties on Thames Valley's roads by deterring speeding and promoting safety - not to prosecute drivers.

It doesn't say - Thames Valley Safer Roads, "We will replace all other forms of road engineering, education, authorities and established protocols"
either.

[gh0st]

But monitoring speed does not make the road safe, per se, so how can they put safety on their advertising?

[bryan35]

they do indeed not make a profit.
But have you seen what is classed as 'running expenses'?
Nice new listed building, all done out with air con. Quarry tiled floors, oak office furniture, sumptuous leather office seats. Oh the list is endless what these SCP's can spend their cash on.
AND more cameras of course.
Remeber this. quote 'a camera that catches 1 vehicle speeding has failed in it's job'. That's one HELL of a lot of failures don't you think?, and the failure rate goes up every year. What was it?, 2,800,000 failures last year?

KSI are down at cameras sites, mostly thanks to Regression to the mean, but the mean KSI's are up - again.

I wish I'd thought of the ideas for speed enforcement/entrapment devices, these companies are laughing at us all squabbling with each other, laughing all the way to the bank!

[WildCat]

destructive Kevibabes said:

puggit said: off_again, I think you're misunderstanding what SCPs are all about. They ARE NOT about road safety - they are merely there to catch people speeding and to generate income from this. I wrote to my SCP (Thames Valley) informing them of a dangerous road junction near to me. I did do this on purpose to gauge reaction. They wrote back telling me that as speeding was not a problem here, and that the problem lay with the road users and junction layout that I should contact my council instead. They are exactly right. You have written to get a reaction and they talk sense to you. What more do you want?

Kevibabes - Liebchen. Ist you or Steviebabes? Or perhaps ist JJ...p)

But no matter .. you are all prats to me....

If you call yourselves A ROAD SAFETY PRATNERSHIP ... ... then i expect you to do as says on the tin... und be doing something about road safety

destructive Kevibabes said:

The correct way to address an item of concern on the road is to write to the Highway Authority responsible for that road. This is either the County Council for non-trunk roads or the Highways Agency for trunk roads.

I have one word for you .. Ambleside. we have written reams of letters about those silly cycle lanes. Ist d[i[ dangerous My Mad Doc usband ist keenest Sunday morning muesli muncher und even he ist bot brave enough to venture down to Ambledideto those lanes. You have 20 mph speed limit... Ernest from Windermere und the feline brigade are probably only ones who actually obey these 20 mph stretches of A591

destructive Kevibabes said:

In this case TV Partnership have identified the road as a Council responsibility for you. They have also indicated that they have reviewed that any accidnets occuring their are/may not be speed related and have not put up a non-justified camera. Now why doesn't this correct action to your provocing letter satisfy you.

It would not satisfy - (und am not that hard to please really...) on basis that as authoroty purporting to be pro-road safety the prats should at least do their bit und write to Council und Highways Authority in support of road user's letter und assist in the making sfer of that road und lend your stamp of authority to danger...und insist that road engineering ist improved to allevaite danger.

Ist what being a "road safety wally" should be about - nicht?

Und when are you going to get off backside und insist that those silly cycle lanes are painted out? Ist suicide for cyclist. Mad Doc tried them when first appeared.... ist first time ever seen him go pale.... apart from that time I took him for fast blat over Gotthardt. Und the time he got marooned in cable car above Santis...

destructive Kevibabes said:

It seems perfectly reasonable. After all, it seems a popular belief that not all accidents are caused by speed alone.

You know as well as I do that people have accidents for lots of different reasons.... defective vehicle killed my cousin... killed mary Brake's Mama und there was that person who nearly killed me when he was unfortuante enought to be taken ill at very moment he was on same road as me...

Ist sad fact of life that accidents will never reach zero, Liebchen. But you could do much more if you looked at the other reasons for crunches und place your energies there if you are so "committed" to road safety.

You could start mit promotion of COAST

[8Pack]

Of course the SCP's don't make a profit! That's what they pay their accountants for!

I have a friend who has claimed for the upkeep of two invisable guard dogs for at least 30 yrs now. Longest lived dogs in history. His income is at least 4 or 5 times mine and he pays about a quarter of the tax that I do on PAYE.

The SCP's are run along the lines of the best scams that the American Mafia could have thought up, right down to the Payola back to Government. Safety? What's that? they say.......get real!

M'Thinks the Cosa Nostra is here already, comes from standing too close to the Americans I think

Remember the bill for the Casino's?