John Baron

Conservative Party | Billericay and District

Points of View

Rail Crime

Recent figures reveal a 30% increase in crime on our railways since 1997, and show that sex attacks have leapt by over 50% and assaults on station staff have almost doubled.   Meanwhile, detection rates have fallen from 30% to 21%.

Many local commuters are rightly concerned by this issue and action needs to be taken. 

Although such initiatives as cameras in stations may help, to me there is no substitute to a much greater deployment of security guards and additional police officers at stations and on trains, backed up by a further 40,000 additional police on our streets across the country.  Indeed, theses figures are yet further proof that we need a massive increase in police numbers, and stiffer court sentences, if we are to beat the criminal.

Speed Cameras

Although some speed cameras have been effective at reducing traffic accidents, a recent Department of Transport Report has confirmed in my view that we need an independent audit of speed cameras. 

This is because close analysis of this Report shows that at 384 of the 1793 sites examined there had actually been an increase in the number of people killed or seriously injured in the year following the installation of cameras.  In addition, a further quarter of speed cameras had made no difference at all to accident rates. 

We need a review of those speed camera sites at which the number of accidents have either got worse or stayed the same - especially as the Report highlighted the fact that Essex has one of the highest proportions of questionable camera sitings.

The increase in deaths and serious injuries at many other sites is a matter of serious public concern.  Fears that drivers might have been paying more attention to cameras than the road, and that traffic policing has been replaced by an over-reliance on cameras, are among the possible explanations. 

I also believe there is a financial incentive to have more speed cameras than necessary.  In answer to my parliamentary questions, the Government has admitted to taking over £9million from the £14 million raised in speeding fines from Essex motorists between 1997 and 2002. 

How many accidents could that money have stopped had it been returned to Essex to help pay for genuine traffic calming measures? 

We have roads in the constituency such as Church Street and Mill Road, Great Burstead, where, despite police confirmation of excessive speeding, the authorities will not introduce traffic calming measures or permanent speed cameras. No wonder many people believe some speeding cameras are simply there to raise cash.