Plans for an average speed camera system on the A420 in Oxfordshire have been scrapped, prompting the area’s MP to demand an explanation from the Thames Valley police and crime commissioner.
Freddie Van Mierlo, MP for Henley and Thame, has written to Matthew Barber after the proposed scheme was turned down. The MP said the decision was a “significant missed opportunity”, particularly because Oxfordshire County Council had agreed to fund a substantial share of the installation costs.
Police costs cited
Thames Valley Police previously confirmed that the council had offered to cover a significant portion of the project. However, the force said the remaining police contribution and the ongoing maintenance costs were too high.
Van Mierlo said speeding and reckless or dangerous driving were frequently raised by constituents, parish councils and community groups. He added: “Speeding and reckless or dangerous driving was identified in your own Crime Survey as the crime most frequently experienced directly by respondents. It is also one of the issues most frequently raised with my office by constituents, parish councils, and community groups.”
Police analysis did not identify speeding as a consistent factor in most collisions. However, Van Mierlo and an Oxfordshire County Council officer believe it was a major contributing factor on the A420.
Call for a pilot scheme
The MP questioned why Oxfordshire does not have an operational average speed camera system, despite the technology being used elsewhere. He said the A420 project could have provided a pilot for wider use in his constituency.
“I believe the introduction of this technology into Oxfordshire could have represented an important pilot that could then be replicated in the Henley and Thame constituency,” he said.