As part of a trial by Buckinghamshire Council to help improve safety and accessibility, Yunex Traffic has supplied and installed enforcement cameras at three locations in the county. Two of the company’s LaneWatch ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras have been sited at locations in High Wycombe and one in Marlow.
The three specific sites were selected for the trial in response to multiple complaints to the Council from residents and road users. The two sites in High Wycombe are bus gateways, which have been reported to be frequently used by car drivers, while at Marlow Bridge, vehicle drivers regularly overlook the weight restrictions which are in place to protect the structural integrity of the historic bridge.
Across all three sites, the contraventions have caused significant disruptions and raised safety concerns for other road users and pedestrians.
Steve Broadbent, Cabinet Member for Transport said: “We are looking to install these temporary cameras to give us a better idea of the number of vehicles currently breaking the rules and causing a danger to others and damage to our roads and highways infrastructure.
“We want to make our roads and towns as safe as possible for everyone who uses them. This exercise will help us to better understand the way motorists are using these areas so that we can address particular issues and introduce measures to help improve safety and accessibility for all.”
The trial is taking place in advance of changes to the Traffic Management Act which are expected to be implemented in June 2022.
The Government has said that regulations giving Councils in England the power to enforce certain moving traffic offences under Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 are planned to come into force on 1 June, with local authorities able to apply for the appropriate powers from May this year. A wide range of offences will be covered, including School Streets, bus lanes, weight restrictions and yellow box junctions.
Currently, outside London and Cardiff, these regulations are enforced by the police, but after Part 6 is introduced, local authorities will be able to issue fixed penalty notices to those caught contravening restrictions, with the revenue generated being invested in further road improvements.
Wilke Reints, Managing Director, Yunex Traffic in the UK, said: “We are really pleased to be working with Buckinghamshire Council at this time, helping them to quantity the scale of the problem through our camera technology. The Council is in a great position to move forward quickly once TMA Part 6 comes into force, with a permanent solution aimed at changing driver behaviour, improving safety for all road users and improving traffic flow.”
