Speed camera enforcement on Holes Bay Road
dennis fallon made this Freedom of Information request to Dorset Police
This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.
Dear Dorset Police,
I have read an article in the Daily Mail that seems to imply that Dorset Camera Partnership, who are supervised by Dorset Police, are acting unfairly by imposing 30mph limits on Holes Bay road when 40mph would be more appropriate.
The article, which can be seen at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-... also says that there is no significant accident record to justify the reduction and that local people were not consulted about the changes.
The implication is that the police are operating unfairly by deception and that motorists are `furious` by being penalised for simply accelerating through the junction.
Under FOI I would appreciate knowing certain facts.
Question 1.When was the speed limit reduced to 30mph, were the local community consulted, what was the previous limit, and why was this location selected for speed reduction?
Question 2.Is it correct, as per the article, that 7,373 motorists were issued with fines and points during the period November 22 2009 to March 31 2010, and if it not correct what is the true figure?
Question 3.Some motorists may have previously been on 9 points, and therefore not be entitled to accept 3 points without a court appearance.Please advise(regarding the alleged 7,373 motorists) how many were required to attend court.
Question 4.Are speed awareness courses available in Dorset as an alternative to receiving points, and how much does the course cost?
Question 5.What Type, and on what dates, were the cameras originally put up, and what Type of camera is currently in place?If the current cameras are different type from the original please advise when they were changed.
Question 6.The Dorset Policing Pledge states that the police will behave with fairness and integrity.On viewing the road preceding the cameras (Google street view)the camera signage shows "Traffic signal cameras" which of course would be wrong and inappropriate as there is no warning of speed enforcement cameras.Please advise of the wording of the current signage, and when the current signage was changed (presumably subsequent to street view).
I often find stories in the Daily Mail are negative and exaggerated and I would therefore appreciate clarification of these matters.
Thank you in anticipation,
Yours faithfully,
Dennis Fallon
Dear Mr Fallon,
Thank you for your email.
Your request will now be considered and you will receive a response
within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act
(this is by 04/08/10), subject to the information not being exempt or
containing a reference to a third party. In some circumstances the
Dorset Safety Camera Partnership may be unable to achieve this deadline.
If this is likely you will be informed and given a revised timescale at
the earliest opportunity.
There may be a fee payable for the retrieval, collation and provision of
the information you request. If this is the case you will be informed
and the 20 working day timescale will be suspended until we receive
payment from you. If you choose not to make a payment then your request
will remain unanswered.
Some requests may also require either full or partial transference to
another public authority in order to answer your query in the fullest
possible way. Again, you will be informed if this is the case.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in
the Dorset Safety Camera Partnership.
Regards
Brian Austin
Freedom of Information Manager
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Dear Mr Fallon,
Serial Number: 0003/07/10 (Please quote this reference in future correspondence regarding this submission).
Thank you for your email of 7 July 2010 concerning the A350 Hole's Bay, Poole, Dorset.
I will reply to your questions in the order they were presented.
1. The history of Hole's Bay speed limits is as follows:
The section of Holes Bay Road, constructed from the north of the Sterte Road junction, had a National Speed Limit applied to it from when it was opened in May 1998.
The section of Holes Bay Road between the Sterte Road junction and Hunger Hill Roundabout was completed in October 1994. As this road was built roughly on the original line of Sterte Road (and this stretch was renamed as Holes Bay Road) it automatically took on restricted road status (i.e. 30mph) at this stage.
The 30mph terminal point was then moved 200m north of the Sterte Road junction in June 1999 (where it currently stands), but the remaining section of Holes Bay Road stayed at National Speed Limit until it was reduced to 50mph in December 2002.
The speed limit on the 30mph section of Holes Bay Road was reviewed and confirmed as being correct and appropriate in accordance with the speed limit review guidance in January 2008.
I do not know whether the speed limit had community consultation first - you would have to contact Poole Borough Council for details of this process.
2. It is correct that in the period 22 November 2009 to 31 March 2010 7,373 drivers were detected by the South Bound Camera exceeded the speed threshold.
3. The disposal method of offences for persons activating specific sites is not recorded. The Dorset Safety Camera Partnership (DSCP) do not have to hold this information - after each audit the annual disposal methods across the county as a whole is issued to various media companies on request - I can send this to you if you so wish.
4. The Chief Constable of Dorset has authorised the use, within strict criteria, of attendance at a Driver Awareness Scheme (DAS) course in lieu of a court hearing or fixed penalty. The fee for attendance at a DAS course would be £100.00.
5. The site at Hole's Bay was initially enforced by a red light camera to detect those travelling through the lights once they had turned red. The red light camera is a Type 36 GATSO Red Light Camera. The Type 36 Red Light Camera was upgraded to become a Type 36 GATSO Red Light & Speed on Green Camera (type approved for use by the Home Office). If you visit the DSCP website at www.dorsetsafetycameras.org.uk you will find a FAQ section on Hole's Bay, in that area you will find a link to the type approval document for this type of camera.
6. First for information - from 1 April 2007 the funding for Safety Camera Partnerships changed from hypothecation to grant funding via the Local Transport Plan (LTP), on this change safety camera partnerships were no longer obliged to follow the guidance on safety cameras (which included mandatory signage) issued by the Department for Transport. However, the DSCP still use signage for fixed cameras & the signage at Hole's Bay says "Traffic signal and speed cameras".
I hope that answers your queries.
In the event that you wish to complain about the manner in which your enquiry has been handled, you should write in the first instance to:
Head of the Fixed Penalty Department
Dorset Police
Dorset Police Headquarters
Winfrith
Dorset
DT2 8DZ
Regards
Brian Austin
Freedom of Information Manager
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Dear Mr Austin,
Thank you for your reply, which requires further clarification for completeness.
Motorists may be of the false opinion that speed camera partnerships are part of a corrupt money making scheme developed by the Labour Government in collusion with ACPO and private enterprise, and which distort the truth in order to maintain undeserved credibility.
There was proven corruption within the last Government but the new Government is strongly in favour of transparency.
I was disappointed to learn that these cameras are made by Gatso, as I have been investigating their low levels of reliability and integrity for four years and have posted evidence on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_M119zkD08 .
QUERY ONE.Regarding `point 3`the disposal methods for offences, please let me know of the figures for the county from the last audit.These can be supplied as a pdf or word document.
QUERY TWO.Regarding `point 5`.On what date was enforcement by way of red-light camera commenced, and on what date was the site upgraded to the new camera?
QUERY THREE.During the period when the red camera only was in operation how may offences of red-light activations were recorded, how many activation fines were paid, and what were the accident figures for the site during each month of operation?
QUERY FOUR.Obviously the increased level of accidents caused by speeding would require some action to be taken.Please advise if Truvelo or Redspeed were approached for competitive quotes or were Gatso given the monopoly?
QUERY FIVE.The cameras seem to be a financial drain on the taxpayers of Dorset as they no longer retain revenue yet generate an annual maintenance cost.Please advise of the initial costs involved in upgrading the cameras, including computer upgrading costs, and please advise of the estimated annual running costs for this site.
QUESTION SIX.You claim that the cameras have achieved Home Office Type Approval.
The Certificate displayed on your website says QUOTE "the Secretary of State in exercise of the powers conferred upon her..."...signed "Alan Campbell, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for State, 15 Dec 2008".
I do not believe that Jacqui Smith ever authorised the Type Approval of these cameras and that Mr Campbell, the P.U.S.S, signed these without reference to her.According to Wikipedia the P.U.S.S is the lowest tier of Government minister.
Please advise if you have any evidence that these cameras were properly Type Approved.
I have asked these 6 questions to allow the opportunity for the partnership to demonstrate that they are transparent and exist in the public interest for a genuine purpose.
You may consider this as a new FOI if you wish and a 20 day response time will be satisfactory.
Yours sincerely,
dennis fallon
I am away from the office until Tuesday 3 August. Any Queries on Firearms please contact Julian South on 760 613. Any queries on FOI please contact Pat Garrett on 760 502. Any queries on "no excuse" please contact Hayley Kyei on 01305 227685.
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Dear Mr Fallon,
Thank you for your email.
Your request will now be considered and you will receive a response within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act (this is by 25/08/10), subject to the information not being exempt or containing a reference to a third party. In some circumstances the Dorset Safety Camera Partnership may be unable to achieve this deadline. If this is likely you will be informed and given a revised timescale at the earliest opportunity.
There may be a fee payable for the retrieval, collation and provision of the information you request. If this is the case you will be informed and the 20 working day timescale will be suspended until we receive payment from you. If you choose not to make a payment then your request will remain unanswered.
Some requests may also require either full or partial transference to another public authority in order to answer your query in the fullest possible way. Again, you will be informed if this is the case.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in the Dorset Safety Camera Partnership.
Regards
Brian Austin
Freedom of Information Manager
Dear Mr Fallon,
Serial Number: 0003/07/10 (Please quote this reference in future correspondence regarding this submission).
Thank you for your email of 29 July 2010 concerning the A350 Hole's Bay, Poole, Dorset.
I will reply to your questions in the order they were presented.
1. I have attached the spreadsheet showing disposal of speed offences within Dorset as supplied to the media.
2. The Red Light camera at Holes Bay was "live" from August 2002. The Speed on Green Camera was live from 1 July 2009 but did not begin the prosecution process until 22 November 2009.
3. Site specific details are published on the DSCP website at www.dorsetsafetycameras.org.uk (look in the FOI area - page 2 of the Publication Scheme - Red Light Camera Statistics - A350 Holes Bay). I do not have more detail that that published, if you want more in depth accident data you would have to contact Dorset Police.
4. Prior to the Dorset Safety Camera Partnership (DSCP) commencing operations in October 2002 camera sites were operated by councils and/or the Highways Agency depending on location - these sites are known as legacy sites. The cameras used at legacy sites were Gatso's (as were the posts to accommodate the yellow box).
On commencing operations the DSCP took over control of the legacy cameras and to save time & public money continued operating & procuring Gatso's as the contracts, procurement process, posts, the software then in use etc were already in place.
I understand that Truvelo was looked at at that time but found to have issues with cabling. Therefore no competitive quotes appear to have been requested from Truvelo or Redspeed at that time.
5. Dorset has never retained "revenue" from safety cameras. All fines paid go to the Treasury Consolidated Fund. Up to 1 April 2007 safety camera partnerships were funded by hypothecation thereafter via the Local Transport Plan (LTP) grant.
To upgrade the Red Light camera to Speed on Green involved various agencies (DSCP, Poole Borough Council etc) cost I have ascertained are £3,500 to upgrade the actual camera, £1,040 for changes to detection loops placed in the road, there was a cost of a maximum of £300 to put in place white lines as secondary checks and a change of signing and there will be would be annually maintenance & calibration costs of approx £500. There were no additional costs for software. Total therefore approx £5,000 + £500 annually.
6. The DSCP receive Type Approval certificates from the Home Office - this is accepted as the approval required to use the camera in question. If you wish to raise question over who signed which certificates you would need to contact the Home Office.
A FAQ section on the A350 Hole's Bay, Poole is now available on the Dorset Road Safe website at www.dorsetroadsafe.org.uk.
I hope that answers your queries.
In the event that you wish to complain about the manner in which your enquiry has been handled, you should write in the first instance to:
Head of the Fixed Penalty Department
Dorset Police
Dorset Police Headquarters
Winfrith
Dorset
DT2 8DZ
Regards
Brian Austin
Freedom of Information Manager
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