Work has begun to install 10 average-speed cameras on one of the ‘most dangerous roads in Hampshire’.
It comes after Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones announced a £560,000 investment in the technology to tackle speeding, dangerous and anti‑social driving on the notorious Portsdown Hill route in the north of Portsmouth, says the city’s The News
Contractors have been on site to determine their locations and preparatory work, including getting power to the site, will now get underway overnight tonight (July 27) before the cameras can be erected mid-August.
The Commissioner said:
“I know people living on and around Portsdown Hill will be pleased with this news. I’m disappointed they couldn’t have been put up at the start of the summer due to the challenge of getting power to the site.
“While this wait has been frustrating, I have been putting pressure on all parties to get the work completed as soon as possible.
“Reckless and anti-social motorists have been affecting people’s lives there for far too long. It’s one of the most dangerous stretches of roads in Hampshire with over 60 injury incidents in the past five years. That includes four fatalities.
“I want these cameras to ensure those numbers don’t increase. They’ll be a major deterrent for those motorists who think they can flout the law and put lives at risk, making Portsdown Hill Road and James Callaghan Drive safer for all of us.”
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said that it works extremely hard to tackle the constant challenges posed by dangerous drivers.
It said these cameras reinforce the Commissioner’s commitment to supporting those efforts – reducing speeding, improving driver behaviour, and restoring peace for residents.
Chief Inspector Emma Hart from the Roads Policing Unit said:
“We all have a right to use our roads without fearing if we will make it home or not. Speeding is one of the most common causes of serious and fatal collisions and these cameras will help us make this stretch of road safer for everyone.”
(Picture: Mapillary)
