Controversial M4 speed camera removed to reduce congestion
Discussion
www.injurywatch.co.uk/news-and-groups/news/road-traffic-accidents/controversial-m4-speed-camera-removed-to-reduce-chronic-congestion-15760700
A controversial motorway speed camera is being removed in a bid to ease congestion on a section of the M4.
Motorists, braking as they see it, have been blamed for causing tailbacks of up to five miles in the westbound lanes near junction 41 at Port Talbot. It will be replaced by electronic signs displaying the speed of each vehicle, but not recording their details. The 50 mph speed limit will remain.
Tory AM Alun Cairns said the camera's position had always been "nonsensical".
An assembly government spokesman said the camera would be removed early in the new year. He said there were problems with congestion on the westbound lanes of the motorway at Port Talbot. "We are working with the South Wales Safety Camera Partnership on the M4 junction 41 and will be supplying two electronic vehicle actuated speed display signs," he added. "These will be located on the westbound side but further east on this 50mph section of motorway."
Mr Cairns, who is South Wales West AM, said he had raised the effectiveness of the camera on several occasions at the assembly. "This has been an issue for some time because the siting of the speed camera has always been nonsensical," he said. "Being so close to a junction it causes a lot of congestion where there is not a history of accidents. Westbound congestion of a Friday evening regularly tails back in excess of five miles because people brake through instinct on observing the camera even when they are travelling within the speed limit."
WAG said there were no plans to remove the nearby speed camera that covered the eastbound lanes.
A controversial motorway speed camera is being removed in a bid to ease congestion on a section of the M4.
Motorists, braking as they see it, have been blamed for causing tailbacks of up to five miles in the westbound lanes near junction 41 at Port Talbot. It will be replaced by electronic signs displaying the speed of each vehicle, but not recording their details. The 50 mph speed limit will remain.
Tory AM Alun Cairns said the camera's position had always been "nonsensical".
An assembly government spokesman said the camera would be removed early in the new year. He said there were problems with congestion on the westbound lanes of the motorway at Port Talbot. "We are working with the South Wales Safety Camera Partnership on the M4 junction 41 and will be supplying two electronic vehicle actuated speed display signs," he added. "These will be located on the westbound side but further east on this 50mph section of motorway."
Mr Cairns, who is South Wales West AM, said he had raised the effectiveness of the camera on several occasions at the assembly. "This has been an issue for some time because the siting of the speed camera has always been nonsensical," he said. "Being so close to a junction it causes a lot of congestion where there is not a history of accidents. Westbound congestion of a Friday evening regularly tails back in excess of five miles because people brake through instinct on observing the camera even when they are travelling within the speed limit."
WAG said there were no plans to remove the nearby speed camera that covered the eastbound lanes.
You can only hope its setting a precedent that some other councils etc would be wise to follow.
Incidentally, South Wales haven't just hiked up council tax or something have they? Or was the speed camera in question just not making money anymore and this is a great way to move it to a new location whilst getting positive publicity? Cynical, moi?
Incidentally, South Wales haven't just hiked up council tax or something have they? Or was the speed camera in question just not making money anymore and this is a great way to move it to a new location whilst getting positive publicity? Cynical, moi?
I drove the M4 to and from Cardiff a few weeks ago (NZ vs Wales) and I was wondering if one could contest a ticket. Most cameras were in a range of 'roadworks' which were coned off, contraflowed and bristling with speed related signs and cameras, some with the lines on the road, others average speed over distance ones...
As I understood it, the rationale behind the lower limits is to protect the workforce...the problem is that, without exception there was NO ONE working on any of the road works...the only work I saw being carried was on the A34 Newbury bypass where a cone cleaning van was cleaning cones which demarked a roadwork area, again, with no work being undertaken...
Surely to penalise someone with that as a justification would be something akin to obtaining money by deception and the impact on traffic flows similar to obstructing the highway...
As I understood it, the rationale behind the lower limits is to protect the workforce...the problem is that, without exception there was NO ONE working on any of the road works...the only work I saw being carried was on the A34 Newbury bypass where a cone cleaning van was cleaning cones which demarked a roadwork area, again, with no work being undertaken...
Surely to penalise someone with that as a justification would be something akin to obtaining money by deception and the impact on traffic flows similar to obstructing the highway...
It'll be interesting to see if the removal of the camera makes a difference, surely what is causing the tailbacks is the 50mph limit itself, and the fact it's only two lanes through there.
If the camera is causing a problem, it's less likely to be people braking "insinctively" and more likely to be people trying to get through at 70 and then braking when they get to the camera. In this case, surely it would be better to make the camera mobile so you never know where it is? And if it is people braking "instinctively", surely this could be fixed by putting a speed limit sign on the camera? (They should all have one, IMO). There also needs to be a sign for "drop down a gear and floor it" at the National Speed Limit sign as no-one seems to know what it means.
I presume the speed limit is to try to cut road noise as the road goes almost right through the middle of Baglan at this point, alternatively I don't know if the junctions are quite up to normal motorway standard, they look a little tight to me round here (although I've never used one). Anyway, this is one area where a lower speed limit doesn't look unreasonable to me.
To me the 50mph limit is perfectly justified. The Port Talbot stretch is quite a norrow part of the M4 and some of the slip roads aren't long enough or have the same visibility as other normal slip roads.
The camera on the other hand is a nightmare. Anyone who regularly drives that section of the M4 at peak times will say the same. The camera's positioning is silly, almost at the end of the 50mph limit, on a nice long straight. If anything, it's been the cause of more accidents with people running into the back of eachother because of last minue braking or not concentrating in the stop start traffic.
The camera on the other hand is a nightmare. Anyone who regularly drives that section of the M4 at peak times will say the same. The camera's positioning is silly, almost at the end of the 50mph limit, on a nice long straight. If anything, it's been the cause of more accidents with people running into the back of eachother because of last minue braking or not concentrating in the stop start traffic.
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