Spring (and A54 Cat & Fiddle Speed Cameras) have Sprung

Here’s another rant contribution from our resident Buxton moaner Mr Grumpy!

Well, spring has sprung, but its not the only thing that has suddenly and mysteriously sprung up on the A537 and A54.

Yes, they are heeeerrrrrrrrre. The long publicised average speed cameras have appeared. Now a well heeled sceptic may say that it was more than a coincidence that they have been switched on just in time for the long Easter bank holiday weekend and the usual expected influx of the motorcycle fraternity for the first usable Bank Holiday of 2010, but I’m not sceptical, so I won’t say it here!

One thing is certain however, that they’ve lost no time in fitting them along both the A54 Bosley & A537 Cat and Fiddle and Bosley roads, its genuinely amazing how fast they’ve been installed, considering the length of time it took for the borough council to reopen those same roads during the heavy snowfall over the Christmas holiday period. That same sceptic may even go on to say that these grey vultures have been installed far faster than the time it took to clear away a bit of snow. I live in hope that perhaps with this new form of revenue generation in place, that in future, more time and effort will be spent clearing and gritting these roads during the winter, after all, if traffic isn’t flowing, the milk machine isn’t milking, and with the roads being kept open and usable for the Winter months, some of us law abiding motorists may be able to get to work, in order to pay our increasing Tax bills.

I wonder how it is possible to install several average speed cameras miles apart in a short space of time and with so little inconvenience, yet utility based roadwork’s seem to take several weeks or even months to dig and complete either minor roadwork’s or a few yards of trench causing chaos and holding up traffic for as much as 30 minutes? Could the person who arranges the lightening fast installation of average speed cameras be also found other duties?! He or She would do wonders working for the council, gritting the roads, repairing those loose flags and dodgy pavements around Buxton, not to mention clearing the never ending landslip on the A6. Why should speed (pardon the pun) and enthusiastic competence just be directed and limited to the installation of Speed Cameras on our rural roads?

I’m sure that if the Council and Highways Agency pulled its collective finger out, and the same interest levied in their many other areas of responsibility we could have the best (and safest) pavements in Derbyshire, coupled with the smoothest roads, repaired and replaced in effectively the same space of time as it takes to dig, install and wire miles of communication links for these ‘Average Speed Cameras’.

Speaking of which, I wonder what impact the installation of these Average Speed Cameras will have on the Tourist Industry? I’m sure that there are a few owners of guest houses, hotels and eateries in the borough who have entertained and enjoyed the company and patronage of bikers from all over the Country (and profited hugely from them). In some ways, this stretch of road was something of a Mecca to people several hundred miles away who actually got to together in groups to arrange a visit and bring their cash injection to our Tourist industry and we should be flattered (and also thankful). In fact, the Cat and Fiddle road was a form of tourist attraction in its own right, and now effectively, somebody has been along and bulldozed it. But don’t take my word for it, Google a few discussions, and read the comments, and this is only early days.

Already the many internet forums, owners clubs and Motorcycle communities are buzzing with the news that ‘One of the best roads in the UK has been blighted’, many are already talking about “visiting other similar roads in other areas” and will no doubt be actively changing their plans and taking their business and overnight accommodation requirements to those areas – areas like the infamous Snake Pass. I can’t help feeling sorry for the Businesses actually along the A534 / A54 stretches of road – namely the namesake ‘Cat and Fiddle’ Inn and the Tea Rooms, both of which can often be found filled wall to wall with Bikers on a sunny day. Will these speed cameras end up costing these businesses money(?), and if the worst comes to the worst, will financial help be available to those businesses in recompense for any loss of trade?

Bear in mind that not all motorists are boy racers or potential criminals nor do they risk their own and other road users’ safety, and not all Bikers are speeding hells angels either. However you can see why some of the Motorcycle communities are taking offence and talking about boycotting the area feeling that they are no longer welcome. After all, nearly all of the signs along the stretch of road seem to actively target and victimise bikers rather than more ‘general’ motorists, at least judging by the sign pictures with cheerful little messages such as ‘Worth Dying For’ and the empathy on how many bikers have been killed or injured along the road. Don’t car owners have accidents too? and what about that Car and HGV that collided on the Leek Road a few months ago(?) – with Fatal results. Not as newsworthy I suppose(?), certainly a missed sign opportunity there for the phantom sign fetishists.

Let me just point out that neither Mr G nor any of the G family are ‘Bikers’ nor have ever been. However, I sympathise with the points made on the many forums and also why even genuine, careful bikers would be aggrieved by this rather one sided anti-biker prejudice – more so as its already been spotted in more than one discussion that the cameras are the new rear facing type, designed to catch motorcycle number plates.

Surely it would have been far cheaper to just put up signs on all of the roads into Buxton reading “Welcome to Buxton (Unless you are a Biker)”. Either way, I fear the loss of business from the drop from this popular and much self-publicising area of the Tourist trade will become soon apparent either way as the news continues to spread via Email and the Internet. I hope that I’m wrong but somehow I think its going to be a tough season.

Perhaps we will tempt a whole new breed of tourist, maybe we’ll get tourists photographing our new grey towers perched over the road thinking its some sort of crazy ad-hoc ‘War of the Worlds’ exhibition. I’m not sure that I believe the BBC’s coverage of the installation as being “sympathetic to the area”. To me, they look like the same generic speed camera’s which appear everywhere else, by the looks of it they’ve been designed and positioned by blind Pugh. What next to blight our area? A few 300 foot metal pylons perhaps(?) or how about a few mobile phone transmitters?

I’m certainly not against speed cameras in residential areas and outside schools, and I agree that they serve a purpose and certainly have a valuable place, they are also less intrusive on the wallet than the sets of springs and suspension I have replaced on my own vehicle due to the sudden appearance those piles of council dung which masquerade as speed calming humps.

However, there are no schools, play areas and hopefully no unsupervised children wondering the Cat and Fiddle Road. The message on the signs tells us that 20 Bikers have been Killed or Injured on the stretch of road in the last 5 years, however what it doesn’t say, is how many motorists and tourists actually used the road safely and without incident during the same 5 year period and so give a useful statistic as to what percentage of actual accidents have occurred in relation to total volume of traffic. But then that wouldn’t be removing the shock and awe trigger would it?

However, since there is an obvious interest in signs and statistics at the moment along the road, why not add another statistic to them? I would like to volunteer the suggestion of signs containing other public interest fodder, such as ‘xx accidents caused by un-gritted and treacherous roads in the last five years’.

I know that the aim of the Speed Camera Partnerships up and down the country is to reduce the needless number of deaths on Britains roads. However in the past 5 years between 1200 and 1700 needless deaths per year occured in hospitals from MRSA, yet how much investment is being set aside to tackle that? Maybe each Hospital should also have a sign on its front entrance saying how many deaths from MRSA have occured in the building, just the same as the current trend for signs which advertise road fatalities?

I will close my latest gripe with a comment made to me by one of my non-driving license holding passengers’ “When putting up these cameras you would have thought that they would have bothered to fill in these deep pot holes wouldn’t you?, as they must be a hazard to motorcyclists and cyclists”

Enough said!. Bring out the risk assessors!

Share on Facebook

One Comment on "Spring (and A54 Cat & Fiddle Speed Cameras) have Sprung"

Alan Richards on Sun, 2nd May 2010 7:21 pm

It is perfectly possible to enjoy the Cat & Fiddle road on two wheels at legal speeds.

FEATURE

Derbyshire Police
Derbyshire Constabulary is committed to reducing and investigating crime, protecting people and promoting law and order across the county of Derbyshire.

Neighbourhood Watch
Neighbourhood Watch is one of the best examples of how the police and community can work together to prevent crime.

Buxton Fire Station
Buxton fire station is the principal station covering the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales area and also holds responsibility for issues relating to the Peak District National Park which is reputed to receive around 22 million tourist visitors a year.

Spring (and A54 Cat & Fiddle Speed Cameras) have Sprung

About Buxton News Directory © MMX