Crowland county councillor: ‘A16 average speed cameras should stretch to county boundary’

Lincolnshire County Council’s member for Crowland says the new average speed cameras on the A16 bypass do not extend far enough.

Coun Nigel Pepper believes Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership made an error when it didn’t install the cameras right the way to Lincolnshire’s border with Cambridgeshire.

His comments came in the week that a Spalding couple were killed close to the border when their car was in collision with an HGV.

Coun Nigel Pepper in April 2016 when he was calling for a roundabout to be installed at this “confusing” junction on the A16 at Crowland.

Coun Pepper is executive support councillor for fire and rescue and emergency planning and says regardless of whether speed was a factor in the crash, it occurred outside the zone of the cameras.

He said: “Being a former member of the fire and rescue service and dealing with incidents first-hand, it concerns and distresses me every time I hear of a road traffic collision on this road.

“My heartfelt condolences go out to the bereaved families of the two fatalities concerned in this tragic incident, I would also like to express my thanks and gratitude to the emergency services that dealt with it.

“Whether or not speed was a factor in this latest incident, it occurred outside of the recently installed average speed camera zone and I brought the matter to the attention of the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership at a meeting on Monday, suggesting the zone should have extended to the county boundary.

“I continue to have serious concerns and also voice my constituents concerns that traffic levels and speed have now increased on the adjacent James road since the introduction of the A16 average speed cameras, in an attempt by drivers to avoid the cameras using it as a rat run to beat the traffic flow on the A16.

“Peak time morning commuter traffic travelling towards Peterborough can now be seen backing up considerable distances from the Crowland roundabout on both the A16 and James Road and needs some serious consideration by the Highways Department.”