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4 Dec 03The Dorset Safety Camera Partnership - First Full Year Audited Figures
Following the completion of its auditing process, the Dorset Safety Camera Partnership has today released financial figures for its first year of operation (1 August 2002 to 31 March 2003). During the reporting period, the number of offences paid in Dorset was 23,733, amounting to receipts of £1,423,980. Says Pat Garrett, Project Manager for the Dorset Safety Camera Partnership: "Collisions at safety camera sites across the whole of Dorset were down by 18% in the same period. This means that the Partnership is getting it right in relation to where the cameras are being located. Lives are being saved." He continued: "Through a mix of enforcement, engineering and education – the message is getting across to people that excess and inappropriate speed kills and seriously injures and if motorists decide to ignore speed limits they are breaking the law. "We are now preparing our operational case for 2004/05. While enforcement will remain a major part of our strategy of reducing casualties, we will be placing greater emphasis on education and engineering aspects." On enforcement figures, Pat Garrett said: "If the Partnership could have achieved a reduction in casualties without issuing a single speeding ticket, it would have been fantastic but the fact remains that there are still far too many people driving too fast on our roads and an important element of encouraging them to slow down is enforcement."
The Dorset Safety Camera Partnership constitutes a partnership between Dorset County Council, Borough of Poole Council, Bournemouth Borough Council, Dorset Police, Dorset & Somerset Strategic Health Authority, Highways Agency, Dorset Magistrates’ Courts and the Crown Prosecution Service. The costs of running the Partnership for 2002/2003 were £1,423,392. This includes costs for staff, equipment, accommodation, IT, camera equipment and public information campaigns regarding the dangers of speeding.
Says Pat Garrett: "A great deal has been achieved in the first year of the Dorset Safety Camera Partnership’s operation. We started in August 2002 with limited staff, equipment and resources and have, over the last year, embarked on a massive learning curve. As well as starting to reduce the number of casualties across Dorset, we have put in place the necessary staff and infrastructure to ensure that the Partnership is as effective and efficient as possible."
Sarah Townsend
Directgov