Transport chiefs in Bradford and neighbouring districts have drafted a hard-hitting letter to the Department for Transport expressing “concern” and “dismay” that money for life-saving road-safety schemes could dry up.

The draft letter, which will need to be rubber-stamped at an upcoming meeting of the West Yorkshire Local Transport Plan (LTP) steering group, says programmes which are designed to reduce the number of crashes are being put “at risk” by uncertainty over future funding.

The letter expresses strong concern that there has been no assurance that the Road Safety Grant, used partly to fund speed cameras, will continue past March 2011.

The letter, drafted by an officer, states: “Given that the grant will end in March 2011, there has been no assurance from Government that road safety funding will be continued.

“This puts at risk the programmes we have in place and the progress we have made in reducing road crashes and injury. Most significant are the implications on the Safety Camera operations.

“The West Yorkshire Local Transport steering group strongly supports the continuation of the road safety grant to maintain the work that is being done successfully to reduce road crashes and injury and to give the very clear message that saving lives is a Government priority.

“The steering group views with dismay the announcement that central Government funding for new fixed speed cameras will stop.”

Bradford councillor Chris Greaves, chairman of the LTP steering group, said the wording of the letter could be subject to amendments once it had been discussed by members of the steering group which could lead to the priorities being altered.

He said: “Something is needed in terms of a road safety grant, but there’s a big question as to how that money should be used.

“I have doubts about cameras. In some ways they are a bit of a nonsense because they only gauge a speed at a point of time, so people can slow down and speed up again. I would much rather the money be spent on more police.”