Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has said that Greater Manchester’s speed cameras are “falling behind”. The Shaw councillor, who sits on Greater Manchester’s Transport Committee, was speaking in response to a report on road safety recently presented to the Committee.
Councillor Sykes said, “Speed cameras are put in place for a very good reason. Not only do they prevent accidents, but they also save lives.”
In many cases, cameras have been left disconnected, having never been updated with newer, digital cameras. Now the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) set at long last to replace many speed cameras that are not working.
Councillor Sykes has been continuously raising the issue of non-functional cameras where speeding is a real problem, yet the camera has been out of action for years. The one on Milnrow Road, Shaw is just one example of such camera.
The Committee heard that Greater Manchester saw an increase of 8% in the number of people who have been killed or seriously injured in the last year.
Councillor Sykes said, “The first priority in tackling these shocking road casualty figures should be to make sure that all the existing speed cameras are fully operational. People expect our roads to be kept safe.”
Councillor Sykes said, “Greater Manchester bosses now tell me the cameras will be operational by August 2023. These ongoing delays are just not good enough. This could mean somebodies life. The authorities need to show far more urgency on this issue.”