A COUNCIL has been forced to replace its network of speed warning signs because solar-powered units can’t hold a charge in gloomy Scotland.
It’s just one of the reasons local authorities have given for the failure of the roadside alerts, most notable being the ‘smiley face’ it provides to drivers keeping within the law.
AlamyThe AA have condemned the neglect of the cameras[/caption]
East Renfrewshire Council admitted 65 per cent of its signs are no longer working and there is no budget in place to replace them.
Glasgow City Council, where the figure is 50 per cent, say it’s five years since they last checked them.
The official neglect has been condemned by the motoring organisation, the AA.
Head of roads policy, Jack Cousens said: “In the effort to eliminate road deaths, we need to use all the tools available to help reach that goal.
“It is very disappointing that the upkeep of these cameras has fallen foul of council budgets.
“Smiley face speed cameras play a clever role in nudging driving behaviour in the right way.
“Speeding drivers tend to slow down to turn the angry red face and numbers into a happy green grin.”
Scottish Borders Council say it has been forced to replace solar-powered units which have failed due to the lack of sunlight in gloomy Scotland.
There is no inspection or maintenance regime in place in Highland or East Ayrshire and Perth and Kinross Council confirmed one of its signs has been broken for five years – with no plans to replace it.
In the north, Moray Council say they have six portable signs which can be moved across the council area but only one is currently working.
The disclosure is a major embarrassment for the Scottish Government, which says it hopes to have ‘the best road safety performance in the world’ in just six years’ time.
Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop recently described the country’s post-Covid rise in those killed and injured on the roads as “alarming”.
At a specially-convened summit, she insisted that road safety was an “absolute priority” for the SNP-led administration at Holyrood.
Radar-operated speeds warning signs were first introduced in Scotland around 20 years ago, usually located where rural roads run into 30mph built-up areas.
It was reported that children in cars would encourage their parents to achieve a ‘smiley’ face by slowing down, rather than register a ‘scowling’ red face for going too fast.
In 2022, there were 33 pedestrians killed on Scotland’s roads.
Figures for 2023 won’t be published by Transport Scotland until next month.
Ms Hyslop said: “I want to be clear that road safety remains an absolute priority for the Scottish Government.”
Anne Docherty Acting co director for the pedestrians’ charity, Living Streets Scotland said: “Being kept safe on our streets is not a ‘nice to have’, it is a right that many of us are being denied.
“Scotland’s current rate of road casualties should be treated as a public health emergency.”
A spokesperson for East Renfrewshire Council, where 37 out of 57 cameras are broken, said: “The safety of our residents is our number one priority and we take our road safety duties extremely seriously.”
Transport Scotland said it was not for ministers to tell local authorities how to prioritise their road safety measures.
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