Lib-Dems' concern over borough's speeding problem

Councillor Garth Harkness

Saddleworth North Councillor Garth Harkness has written, on behalf of his colleagues in the Oldham Council Liberal Democrat Group, to the Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Arooj Shah, with some suggestions to help tackle speeding cars in the borough.

Councillor Harkness said: “Many residents contact me about speeding concerns.

"In Saddleworth, myself and Derek Heffernan have arranged for a number of surveys across some of the Saddleworth villages and it is clear in a number of places there is a problem

“Speeding is one of those issues that every ward councillor receives complaints about on a regular basis.

"At the last Council, several members representing different parts of the Borough raised their concerns about speeding.

"Like them, I too receive complaints about speeding in Saddleworth North, and as this is a non-party political issue I wanted to make some practical suggestions to the Labour Administration to help tackle this blight.

"I hope that they will be taken up.”

Councillor Harkness has put forward a number of suggestions, including:

1.      To purchase and deploy mobile speed cameras to catch offenders. Such a measure will, I believe, pay for myself very quickly and will help change driver behaviour and improve road safety.

2.      That we look to work with community and residents’ group to establish Community Speed Watch schemes in the Borough https://www.communityspeedwatch.org/

3.      Other local authorities are introducing ‘bus gates’ outside schools to limit vehicular through traffic to cycles and local buses at the start and end of the school day, with a fixed penalty for transgressors. This would reduce the likelihood of other traffic speeding past schools when pupils are entering or exiting schools.

4.       Increase Community Concern speed enforcement sites.

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