A report providing the Sub-Committee with the Council’s response to the Government’s Department for Transport (DfT) Roads Policing Review.

The Executive Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report, submitted a report on the Council’s response to the Government’s (Department for Transport (DfT)) roads policing review.

The report stated that since 2010 there had been an increase in the number of people killed and seriously injured on the roads. In response to this situation, the DfT had instituted a roads policing review working with the Home Office, the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other agencies. As part of this review, the Government was exploring better use of intelligence to target dangerous behaviours, the use of technology in enforcing road traffic law and a better understanding of the value of enforcement in influencing road user behaviour and the current enforcement capability. The DfT had invited local authorities to respond to its review.

The report advised that the police were the primary enforcement agency, with roads policing in England and Wales being provided by the 43 geographically based police forces. However, local authorities also played a role in enforcement, primarily relating to managing traffic flow through enforcement of bus lanes, parking and, in London, other moving traffic offences such as box junctions.

Appended to the report was a copy of the Council’s response to the roads policing review, dated 5 October 2020. As part of the Council’s response, reference was made to local authorities such as Reading being given an opportunity to play an active role in speed enforcement, particularly in enforcing 20 mph speed limit zones. Thames Valley Police had declared a policy of not enforcing/ supporting 20mph speed enforcement. The Council’s response acknowledged that this response may be justified by the police in terms of reduced resources and the need to focus on higher policing priorities, but it left local authorities in an unacceptable situation. The Council was therefore seeking to be given the powers to devise more effective methods for enforcing contravention of speed limits up to a certain threshold such as up to 40mph. As part of this, the Council would require the fines to be reinvested in further enforcement and environmental measures, as was currently required from bus lane penalties and parking contraventions.

In short, the Council’s response was to call on the DfT, Home Office, Thames Valley Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley to work with the Council to take forward such speed enforcement initiatives in Reading.

The Sub-Committee discussed the report and commented favourably on the response that had been given by the Council to the DfT’s Roads Policing Review.

Resolved –    That the report and the Council response to the DfT’s Roads Policing Review be noted.