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Campaigners furious after incident in Killinghall Road, Undercliffe (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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Campaigners furious after incident in Killinghall Road, Undercliffe
8:31am Tuesday 29th September 2009
Arsonists have targeted a speed camera that was installed earlier this year amid mounting concern over the number of collisions on a Bradford road.
The fire broke out on the A6177 Killinghall Road, near the junction with Intake Road, Undercliffe at about 2am yesterday.
Councillors who campaigned for the camera to be installed have reacted angrily to the fire, branding the offenders “mindless thugs.”
Firefighters said someone had placed a pile of tyres around the base of the camera before setting fire to them.
The flames are not thought to have reached high enough to damage the yellow box that contains the recording equipment.
In January, West Yorkshire Casualty Reduction Partnership decided to put up four cameras on Killinghall Road following nine fatal or near-fatal collisions in four years.
One of those collisions happened in late 2008, when four men were killed as their stolen Subaru Impreza smashed into Killinghall Fisheries.
Councillor Ghazanfer Khaliq said: “I campaigned for these speed cameras because concern was raised by a lot of residents about the speed of traffic on that road, particularly in an area where there are a lot of schools.
“I am disappointed that mindless thugs are doing this to something that is there for the safety of motorists, pedestrians and schoolchildren.
“At the end of the day, it’s there to protect the community. Some people probably think they are a money-making tool, but most people appreciate that they do reduce the speed of vehicles.
“This is not the first time we have seen speed cameras and CCTV damaged. The one on Otley Road was damaged recently as well. There’s no excuse for it and it must stop.”
Airedale and North Bradford Police said they were called by the fire service at about 2.30am to a report of a fire at a speed camera on Killinghall Road.
A police spokesman said: “At this stage it is not certain how much, if any, damage was done to the camera which is due to be tested by the Council.
“Police are investigating the matter.”
e-mail: will.kilner@telegraphandargus.co.uk
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Your Say YourBradford
Warthog, Almost Bradford says...
9:21am Tue 29 Sep 09
Prisoner Cell Block A, bradford says...
12:33pm Tue 29 Sep 09
Strange that, for years I asked for better crossing patrols, even a pelcian crossing for Wellington Mid/First school as was, this was ignored completely, the school srtill has little and inadequate crossing over what is classed as the 'ring road'. So it now makes me wonder which of these schools these speed cameras are close to, because not one of them is anywhere near Wellington. Any real reason why? The road there is still a 30mph limit, exactly the same as down Killinghall Road, is it because the children at Wellington and their parents are slightly more educated to the dangers of roads and crossing them? Is it because they care more about their children and invest more of their own time in them, therefore the council doesn't have to 'nanny' them as they do with other less educated children at other schools? Whatever the reason, it is wrong, ALL schools should have high visiblity, manned crossings at both school openingtimes and closing times. The rest of Killingahll Rd can take their life in their hands for me.
And as for the 'tragic' deaths which amplified the councils need for these cameras on Killinghall Rd, that is a joke in itself. Do you think the lads in the stolen Subaru would have slowed to 30 due to cameras being present, or not driven as fast and therefore not lost their lives due to this initiative? No, me neither. The reason teh cameras aren't around Wellington School, and probably no where near your child's school either is that they wouldn't pull as much money, but could save youir child'ds life/leg/head.
thornburyph, bradford says...
1:23pm Tue 29 Sep 09
NOTSOCOMMENSENSE, BINGLEY says...
2:15pm Tue 29 Sep 09
Welcome To The New World Order, Bradford-on-sea says...
3:40pm Tue 29 Sep 09
rongtw, bradford says...
4:49pm Tue 29 Sep 09
obviously some nice new drug sales car forgot to slow down at this one, so the decided to try to spoil the evedence,, look throught the film your culprits will be on there
Roadkilluk, Bradford says...
5:19pm Tue 29 Sep 09
webess, says...
5:37pm Tue 29 Sep 09
Do these council people take us for idiots?
mullarkey, Bradford says...
6:41pm Tue 29 Sep 09
Warthog wrote:i read somewhere last week that 50% of drivers in the BD3 area are UNinsured,can councillor Khaliq campaign for a police presence in that area to actually remove these drivers off our roads. i doubt it.Plus they would be rather more difficult to set on fire than SCAMera's.
They should change the cameras in that area from cash cow speed cameras, catching legal drivers doing a couple of mph over the limit, to ones that will catch all the uninsured drivers around there!
yezboss, Bradford says...
7:19pm Tue 29 Sep 09
And, more importantly, can we ask for the footway to be cleaned please?
sarahkate, bradford says...
10:14pm Tue 29 Sep 09
garyb, beechcliffe says...
12:47am Wed 30 Sep 09
# 2.2 million people caught speeding every year – up 328% in a decade
# Total fines from cameras exceed £114million every year
# Speed cameras create erratic driving – or ‘yo-yoing’ – where drivers speed up and down between cameras
# And seven in ten drivers (71%) are focusing more on the speed camera than on the road ahead
# Speed cameras could lead to an increase in motor insurance premiums of £36 million* each year.
SO since speed cameras only ever catch people who bother to register and insure their vehicle. WHY doesnt the council use the income from them to finance more plate recognition patrols throughout the area thereby using the in all other respects law abiding motorists fines to catch the far more dangerous uninsured and un licenced ones. WE ALL know the answer to that one don't we. Because the majority of inner city wards councillors are voted into office by those same people and it's suicide for them. Who knows if they were convicted perhaps they could get the "community" to write letters to the courts explaining how they couldnt afford insurance due to their work with disadvantaged children. Seems to work for other people who would ordinarily be serving 3 years now and rightly so.
ms walker, Round here says...
10:54pm Wed 30 Sep 09
Have you ever noticed - especially when driving through town - that it doesn't matter how fast you go, the old geezer tootling along at a steady 30 always seems to be right behind you again next time you stop at the lights....? Maybe you ought to check your mirrors more - you'll see what I mean!
albion, west riding says...
6:38am Thu 1 Oct 09
ms walker wrote:Dont have them doing that or there will be shunts at every lights!
Why not just drive at the right speed, then you wouldn't get caught out by speed cameras...?
Have you ever noticed - especially when driving through town - that it doesn't matter how fast you go, the old geezer tootling along at a steady 30 always seems to be right behind you again next time you stop at the lights....? Maybe you ought to check your mirrors more - you'll see what I mean!
Councillor Ghazanfer Khaliq at the scene of the arson attempt
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mullarkey, Bradford says...
9:04am Tue 29 Sep 09