A ‘NOTORIOUS’ road which will have its fixed speed camera removed in favour of mobile police enforcement to the dismay of campaigners has only had one collision in recent years, new figures have revealed.
Members of Speed Awareness Group Ardsley (SAGA) formed three years ago following frequent near-misses on Doncaster Road, which has a 40mph limit.
Its speed camera, which was vandalised last August, is being decommissioned after statistics showed only 93 offences were recorded in 2019 and 81 last year.
However, campaigners believe a low collision rate does not get away from speeding issues on the Darfield-bound carriageway.
Barnsley Council recently announced a £90,000 package of measures for worst-first areas, but worries have been expressed that Doncaster Road’s low collision rate will go against the campaign.
Coun Chris Lamb, cabinet spokesperson for environment and transportation, said: “Speed enforcement is the responsibility of South Yorkshire Police - this includes the use of mobile and fixed speed camera sites across the Barnsley area.
“The fixed camera on Doncaster Road was vandalised in August 2020 and will be decommissioned and replaced with mobile enforcement.
“The history of vehicle collisions around the site shows that in the period between 2017 to 2019, only one slight injury collision was reported within a 200-metre radius.
“In addition, only 93 offences were recorded by the camera in 2019 and 81 in 2020 up to the time the camera was taken out of service.
“We have agreed with South Yorkshire Police that we will continue to monitor vehicle speed and collision data at the site, and should these factors increase, we will, of course, consider additional interventions.
“The recently-introduced neighbourhood road safety pilot is only one of the mechanisms being used to improve road safety across the borough.
“The £90,000 available for distribution for local schemes is there to all wards, and we have received highly positive engagement to date.
“All proposals will be scored following a pre-determined matrix, taking into account their overall contribution to improving local road safety.
“The cash available under this initiative is in addition to the £639,000 proposed investment for the 2021/22 financial year.
“This wider programme continues the annual work carried out on collision site analysis, school safety zones, footway upgrades, speed indicator devices, vehicle activated signs and multiple traffic signal upgrades.”
The number of casualties killed or seriously injured on Barnsley’s roads has been increasing since 2016 - something which SAGA members believe will continue unless preventative measures are brought in.
The group - supported by ward councillors - have alerted South Yorkshire Police, Barnsley Council, South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership, the Police and Crime Commissioner and local MP Stephanie Peacock to the danger road ‘without any real success’.
Residents have regularly campaigned for measures including flashing speed limit signs, average speed check cameras and more clear signage than the small 40mph signs currently in place.
Instead, they have had to rely on parked cars to foil would-be offenders by forcing them to slow down, or the crossing guard outside Oakhill Primary Academy.
Council leader Sir Steve Houghton said: “There’s a limit what we can do as we simply don’t have the money to fund every scheme in the borough.
“Three priority areas in every ward will be put forward, though, but work will have to be evidence-based.
“We will look at everything put forward.
“What we should be doing is what we are doing, and that’s looking at where we have serious problems, then prioritising what’s required.”