Speed camera plan at major roadworks

CAMERAS which measure average speeds over set distances are poised to be used at every future major roadworks in Scotland following their success in cutting speeding on two main roads, The Scotsman has learned.

Transport Scotland, the Scottish Executive's new agency, is understood to be convinced of their benefits and one of its main road maintenance firms is planning to buy the equipment for use across the country.

The AA motoring organisation has told The Scotsman it expects the new cameras to become "standard practice" for roadworks in Scotland.

The development comes as the Speed Enforcement Camera System (SPECS) goes into action this week at the start of year-long roadworks on the A90 between Perth and Dundee.

The cameras, nicknamed "yellow vultures", will enforce a 40mph limit during the work to improve junction safety over a five-mile stretch.

SPECS is currently being used over a 29-mile section of the A77 in Ayrshire and at roadworks on the M74 in Lanarkshire. Speeding has been drastically reduced on both roads, with the number of motorists caught on the SPECS section of the A77 from south of Kilmarnock to south of Girvan now a fraction of previous levels.

The Strathclyde Safety Camera Partnership, which covers speed and traffic light cameras, said hardly any drivers had been caught speeding through the mile-long roadworks at the Raith interchange on the M74 since they started in March.

The AA Motoring Trust said Transport Scotland is convinced by the success of SPECS and is considering using it at all future major roadworks.

Many such schemes, like the just-completed first stage of work on the M8 near Glasgow airport, include normal speed cameras, but drivers tend to slow down for the cameras, then speed up again.

Transport Scotland said SPECS is only some 15 per cent more expensive.

A spokeswoman for the agency told The Scotsman: "We started to trial SPECS on the A77 in summer 2005. While this trial is ongoing, initial results in terms of accident reductions and traffic flow are encouraging. There is also a high level of compliance and we have seen public opinion look favourably on SPECS.

"Based on this... Transport Scotland takes the view that the average speed camera system is beneficial."

Neil Greig, head of policy in Scotland for the AA Motoring Trust, said: "I expect SPECS will become standard practice for major roadworks in Scotland."

However, anti-speed camera campaigners said SPECS was irrelevant to safety.