New anti-speeding kits will give more power to communities in Aylesbury according to former mayor

Data from existing speeding equipment in the town recorded one motorist driving at 90mph at 9am in April.

Another was recorded travelling at 70mph one month later.

But Aylesbury’s anti-speeding kit is “no longer fit for purpose”, according to councillor and former town mayor Mark Willis, whose two proposals for new equipment were approved by the town council last night.

This means the town will be getting four more mobile vehicle activated signs worth around £2,500 each and sentinel speedwatch equipment worth almost £4,000.

Councillor Willis, said: “In lockdown, because everyone was in their house they noticed just how bad things were with how fast people were going.

“We’ve already got some mobile vehicle activated signs and that gathered data. The data was very informative. At 9am on a weekday [there was a recording of] 90 mph.

“These are all residential areas where people live.

“It’s not just my ward, it’s all over town. So looking at the data and what was important to my residents and the whole town’s residents, decided it was worth investing the council’s money into buying some more of this equipment so we can best address their concerns.

“If we’ve got safer roads it might encourage people to walk me, cycle more instead of clogging up the streets and our lungs with polluting vehicles.”

Councillor Willis’ proposals were backed unanimously by the town council.

They will now go to Aylesbury Community Board, where it is hoped a panel of county councillors will say yes to a request to cover half the cost of the equipment.

Explaining how the sentinel speedwatch kit works, Cllr Willis added: “[It] is run in conjunction with the police.

“It sits on the side of the road, and when someone’s exceeding the speed limit it will take a photograph of their registration number.

“That can then be entered into a police database and they get sent a warning letter.

“If they start picking up too many of these letters they will land on the radar of the police.

“It gives the community a bit more power over the streets they live in.”