The subject of road safety was raised at Tuesday night’s Corporate Scrutiny Committee, as Cllr Phil Jordan reassured members that the Alliance Group are committed to make the highways as safe as they can be.
The IW Association of Local Councils (IWALC) representative, Cllr Cameron Palin, highlighted several serious road traffic incidents that had taken place recently on the Island.
Call for reassurance
Adding that in the previous budget, money had been allocated for mobile average speed cameras, something the Alliance has chosen not to pursue, so asked for reassurance for town and parish councils that the administration takes road safety seriously.
Jordan: Entirely committed to making highways as safe as they can be
Cllr Phil Jordan, the Cabinet member for Transport and Infrastructure, replied
“I am happy to confirm to town and parish councils, residents and councillors that we are entirely committed to making our highways as safe as they can be.”
Jordan: Mobile average speed cameras do not exist
In terms of speed cameras, he said this was probably the fifth or sixth time he was going to say this,
“Mobile average speed cameras do not exist.
“The money was set aside to buy something we couldn’t buy and so we didn’t.”
How the money is being used
Cllr Jordan went on to explain that the money has been used for wider schemes.
He said the previous Conservative administration had started off a speed review of the Island, which they were continuing with, adding that the data that had been collected would inform, towards the end of this year priority schemes.
Supporting wider schemes
Adding that the priority on safety would be assessed within the consultation and considered within the funding they have to deliver these schemes, Cllr Jordan said,
“The money that was set aside for the cameras is set aside for wider schemes across the Island.”
Community cameras
The Cabinet member said they were supportive of the community cameras being used in certain places and reiterated that in general terms it was the Safety Speed Partnerships delivered by the Police that operate cameras and it’s not really what councils do.
He finished by saying,
“It’s going to take a while, this is not a quick fix and our funding has got to meet the expectations, which it probably won’t.”
Image: © Google Maps/Streetview
