Photo by David Long
Installing average speed cameras would be a ‘quick and relatively cheap’ fix to some of the traffic issues along the stretch of the A30 between St Erth and the Newtown roundabout, says West Cornwall MP Derek Thomas.
Mr Thomas has been a long-time supporter, both of short-term measures to address the congestion, road safety issues and reduced quality of life for residents along this stretch of road, and, in the longer term, the dualling of the A30 all the way from Camborne to Penzance.
Three years ago, £1.4 million of Government money was promised to make interim improvements between St Erth and the Newtown roundabout but Highways England (responsible for major trunk roads like the A30) and Cornwall Council (the authority that looks after all the other roads in Cornwall) are still working to produce a scheme that will improve road safety without increasing traffic congestion.
“I appreciate that devising an over-arching scheme for this road which will benefit all users – pedestrians, residents living alongside the road and motorists – is not easy, particularly when it comes to resolving all the different issues at the Crowlas crossroads and the feeder roads that come out on to the A30,” said Mr Thomas.
“However, from the results of a survey I carried out in Crowlas and the surrounding area in the summer and from talking to residents, it is clear that many people believe that installing average speed cameras would make a big difference in terms of discouraging traffic from speeding on the A30 itself.
“This would be a quick and relatively cheap way to address one of the major areas of concern and the cameras could be installed while a comprehensive traffic plan for the whole area is worked up.”