SENIOR councillors have called for the police crackdown on dangerous driving across the Bradford district to be allowed to continue indefinitely after praising its success.

Members of Bradford Council’s Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee were told how Operation Steerside, established in February, has now snared more than 5,500 motorists driving illegally.

Officers said the initiative was becoming part of “everyday police life” in Bradford, revealing that it will continue for “at least another six months.”

The committee is set to write to Mark Burns-Williamson, the Police and Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire, to ask for funding to help secure the project even further into the future.

The crackdown was partly launched on the back of the Telegraph & Argus ‘Stop the Danger Drivers’ campaign, which began last November to highlight poor driving across the district and call for changes to the law.

The campaign has recently won the backing of the full Bradford Council and local MPs have indicated a willingness to raise the issue in Westminster.

Superintendent Daniel Greenwood, of Neighbourhood Operations Bradford Districts, showed headlines from T&A stories as he explained how the beginning of Steerside had come about.

“Bradford has got one of the worst standards of driving across the county,” he said.

“The problem is common across all big cities, but it is fair to say we are towards the bottom end of it.”

He told the committee that the timing of the launch of the operation had been initiated by a tragic double fatal collision on Shipley Airedale Road.

Manningham Taxis driver Mirza Abdul Malick, 64, and his passenger, former antiques restorer Paul Hayward, 55, died at the scene of a three-car crash on the A650 on Saturday, January 2.

Muhammad Sikder, 27, of Sylhet Close, and Ismail Miah, 23, of Springfield Place, subsequently pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and were each jailed for seven and a half years.

Mr Malick’s Proton cab was struck by a BMW, driven by Sikder, who had been racing Miah, who was driving a Range Rover, which also hit the BMW.

The BMW and Range Rover were both travelling at about 70mph in the 40mph zone before the crash.

“That incident really was the catalyst for setting up Operation Steerside,” said Supt Greenwood.

He told the committee that officers then used accident data to establish the ‘fatal four’ offences, namely speeding, driving while under the influence of drink or drugs, driving while using a mobile phone, and not wearing a seatbelt. A top five of ‘hot spot’ areas were established, with dedicated patrols set in operation, including funding being provided for additional officers to work specifically on the operation.

As of last week, a total of 5,573 offences had been logged under the banner of Operation Steerside. The figures break down to 1,968 speeding offences, 1,919 drivers caught not wearing a seatbelt, 559 using a phone, 436 stopped without insurance, and 682 ‘other’ offences. A total of 458 vehicles have also been seized and removed from the district’s roads.

Supt Greenwood also told the committee that police now had a dedicated e-mail address for dashcam footage from the public that is being used in certain cases by the Crown Prosecution Service.

He said that officers were also looking at “refreshing” the patrol areas, and will be holding multi-agency days of action over the coming months. He also said that automatic number plate recognition equipment was to be installed into more police vehicles, and that new recruits would be trained in the operation.

“Some people might be cynical, but this isn’t a cash cow for the police, education is the key,” he said.

Chairman of the committee, Councillor Arshad Hussain (Lab, Toller) asked about funding to allow the project to continue.

In response, Supt Greenwood said funds were in place to allow the project to last for “at least another six months.”

He added that the operation was being written into the local police and crime plan, and in time, would be “embedded into everyday policing life” in Bradford. He also said that Calderdale police were currently looking at the details of the programme.

Commenting on Steerside, Councillor David Green (Lab, Wibsey) said: “The figures show the real success of the project, and we need to look at ways of making sure it can continue. We need to keep the pressure up on illegal drivers.”

Councillor Simon Cooke (Cons, Bingley Rural), the leader of the Conservative group on the council, said the work of Operation Steerside was to be appreciated, and that the near 6,000 offences “showed the scale of the problem.” He said that councillors needed to re-visit the political arguments over more severe sentences for driving offences and changes to driver training.

The committee proposed a recommendation that members write to the office of Mr Burns-Williamson, who has previously expressed his support for the T&A ‘Stop the Danger Drivers’ campaign, to request that funding be provided to allow Operation Steerside to continue. In response, he said: “Operation Steerside is having a real impact in Bradford with over 5,500 people being dealt with since it launched in February. The operation is due to continue for the immediate future, as road safety and driving issues within Bradford have been highlighted as key concerns. Keeping West Yorkshire’s roads safe for everyone is a priority for West Yorkshire Police.”

Sergeant Cameron Buchan, who has led the initiative, said he was “chuffed” to hear there was a will to keep it going. He said: “Dangerous driving is a very emotive issue in every part of the district. Everyone wants to feel they can walk down the road safely or feel safe driving themselves. Driving standards have slipped, and we need to get them back. People think it’s an easy fix, but it’s not just about handing fines out, it’s about re-educating people. It’s a long-term thing.”

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