Question mark over busy speed camera

The position of a Newton Abbot speed camera which has caught more than 6,000 drivers is being challenged by councillors.

The camera on Ashburton Road is set to help enforce a 30mph limit, but two local councillors say it might not meet national standards.
Conservative councillors Phil Bullivant (Bradley) and Alex Hall (Buckland and Milber) are asking colleagues to back their motion asking key questions about the busy camera.
The motion says: “Exceeding the speed limit is unacceptable, particularly in a residential area at any time (but) the process for administering appropriate sanctions requires that the public understand why sanctions are in place and that the enforcement is seen to be appropriate and fair.”
It says the Ashburton Road camera appears to be in breach of established custom and practice.
It calls on the highway authority to confirm that the limit is appropriate, and no cheaper engineering solution would be more effective than the camera.
It asks if signage is correct and legal, and if the camera is visible, and not hidden by vegetation.
The motion goes on: “Many recipients of tickets have highlighted the location of the small camera installed on a lamppost with minimal signage and poor visual awareness.
“There have also been complaints of proceedings for speeds of less than 35mph.
“What was the basis for the camera installation, who decided on the parameters for the actual installation, how many proceedings have been instigated for speeds of 35mph or less and does the installation meet national standards for speed camera locations?”
Driving at 35mph in a 30mph zone is at the threshold for enforcement under guidelines set out by the Association of Chief Police Officers, which is now known as the National Police Chiefs Council.
The guidelines typically suggest a fixed penalty fine or a speed awareness course when speeds exceed 10 per cent plus 2mph. In a 30mph zone that would be 35mph.