The impact of volunteers helping to catch out speeding drivers in Woodley has been discussed with a claim that drivers are ‘flying down’ one of the main roads.
The prosecution of speeding drivers is undertaken by roads policing officers, who use cameras to detect speeding and issue punishments accordingly.
But enforcement, particularly in urban areas which are not covered by cameras, can be difficult.
The national community speedwatch scheme allows volunteers to use detection devices to monitor speeds, then send speeding data to Thames Valley Police roads officers for enforcement.
An update on the community speedwatch scheme was recently given at a meeting of Woodley Town Council’s planning and community committee.
Councillor Greg Bello called for increased speed monitoring, also mentioning Miles Way and Mowhawk Way.
He is liaising with police as neighbours have reported speeding at the A4 Shepherds Hill, which connects Woodley, Earley and East Reading.
Cllr Bello (Labour, Loddon South) said: “I asked them to help with radar teams, which have been active in Woodley, recently in Shepherd’s Hill. They’ve been catching a few people flying down there.
“I’d like to request that community speedwatch do some work in that area if it’s at all possible.
“I’m also liaising and putting pressure on borough council highways officers to see what can be done with those particular roads.”
Cllr David Bragg (Conservative, Coronation Central), who is involved in coordinating speedwatch volunteers, mentioned that monitoring has taken place in Church Road and Colemansmoor Road.
He said: “I think we caught one person, even though comments had come in about speeding problems.
“Quite often, it depends upon what type of vehicle it is.
“With cars that have loud exhausts, people have a general impression than they are going faster than they actually are, exactly the same with modern cars, that the impression is that they are going faster than they really are.
They [volunteers] actually haven’t picked up any major speeding offence.
If a Fiesta goes down the road at 30mph, probably people wouldn’t notice. If an M3 BMW three-litre goes down there, the noise of the engine at 30mph would give the impression that they are speeding.
This is where people pick up and say there is a speeding problem.
However, he did admit there is a speeding issue in Mowhawk Way, and encouraged volunteers to conduct monitoring.
Commenting on the situation in Colemansmoor Road, cllr Bill Soane (Conservative, Loddon South) said: “The first part coming off Bader Way is perhaps the area you can speed, although the road surface is so bad, you’re more likely to take off on some of the humps and bumps!
“The second part has got its own speed restrictions because of the parked cars when you get further down.”
The activities of the speedwatch were discussed at the meeting on Tuesday, February 3.
Cllr Bello is also a Wokingham Borough councillor for Loddon ward.
