Banbury 20mph limit 'will rarely be enforced' - but county hopes it will change drivers’ mindset

Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) said this week it recognises the limits may not be enforced because of restrictions on police cash and time. But they hope the new limits will change the mindset of drivers and become the ‘new norm’.

Thames Valley Police (TVP) chief constable Jason Hogg told the council that its fixed speed cameras do not function at 20mph. There are 67 in Oxfordshire.

Cameras that work at 20mph do exist but they come ‘at a high financial cost’ while the force faces a number of big challenges, he said. Force-wide, the police carry out roughly 65 enforcement actions in 20mph zones across Oxon, Bucks and Berks, ‘where data suggested a greater need for enforcement’.

As reported in the Banbury Guardian, last week, the county council agreed a 20mph speed limit in Banbury’s residential streets rather than a full town-wide imposition.

A spokesman for OCC said: “It (is) not the case that the force does not monitor 20mph speed limits but there were issues with the stationary speed cameras as they were not sensitive enough to pick up such speeds.

"Cameras did exist which had such capability but that would require a significant budgetary impact to install them. Speed guns were capable of picking up infractions of 20mph limits and were deployed. There was significant monitoring at hot spots as TVP needed to focus attention where there was a problem.”

There are around 67 fixed camera sites around the county.

The county spokesman said: “The 20mph schemes are not being ‘imposed’. Applications are being granted where there has been local interest and they are suitable.

“Speed enforcement is a matter for TVP but we are encouraging them to administer 20mph limits in the same way as 30mph limits are enforced.

"However, our 20mph programme has largely been about changing behaviour and the mindset of drivers. If everyone changes their behaviour, then 20mph will become accepted as the new normal.

"We are funding sign-only changes for areas wishing to be part of the changes. Town and parish councils will be expected to fund any traffic calming measures that may be required to support the new limit in their areas.

"However, we are looking at updating vehicle activated signs in some areas where that can help reduce speed, with £500k from the 20mph programme budget.

“It must be remembered that the vast majority of speed limits – not just 20mph ones – are not actively enforced and rely on law abiding motorists adhering to them. Enforcement is a last resort in locations where there is a safety issue and this allocation of resources will continue.”

The subject has created huge interest on Banburyshire Info social media page.

One concerned resident said: “It’s about controlling the masses and making them comply with ridiculous edicts like this. Next will be pay-per-mile which they’ve already introduced in some parts of the country. We all moan, then accept, wait for the next ridiculous edict to be introduced and the cycle gets repeated.”

Will Bayliss said: “We’ve had it in Chippy for a while now - no one sticks to it and it’s not policed. They prefer to spend our money on this c*** than repair our roads. OCC are responsible so get out and vote wisely this May!”

Graham Ayris said: “This is a political move rather than a safety based one. The decision should always be based on accident data not just knee jerk political decisions and over simplistic rhetoric.

"The 20 scheme allows OCC to access additional government funding so the local councils are not paying for it and can claim they have been making road “improvements”.

“The speed reductions should be based on accident data and only used cautiously. You can see from many of the villages which have already changed to blanket 20 speed limits that they are not respected as for large parts they are not appropriate. 20 should be limited to residential areas and outside schools/shopping areas and not used on arterial roads or through routes.”

Colin Aries said: “The more car drivers are inconvenienced the better as far as I'm concerned.

“Globally around 8,000,000 people die from particulate pollution every single year. Then you've got the millions of chronic conditions you add to that figure. Car culture is major contributory factor. It's not simply a case of the exhaust fumes either. It's the whole extractive and production process. Car culture is a killer.”

Contributors lamented the public’s protests over speed restrictions but lack of action over the state of the NHS, knife crime, immigration and corruption. One replied: “There’s a lot of people on here who seem very agitated by speed restrictions, when there are far more serious problems to contend with.”

A mother complained about money being spent on implementation of 20mph speed limits while there is ‘no money’ for secondary school buses, forcing hundreds of families to drive their teenagers to school.

And a number felt the new speed limits would not stop ‘boy racers’ driving dangerously around Banbury’s streets.

Banbury Active Travel supporters had opposed the exceptions of the arterial roads leading into Banbury. Labour councillors felt keeping arterial roads at national speed limits was wise, though a lower limit particularly around schools, was welcomed.

Tory councillor Kieron Mallon said: "The new zones are a great improvement on the original ones but I doubt if they will be effective as they will not be properly policed by Thames Valley Police, who quite rightly should be solving crimes, not issuing tickets at every street corner.”