THE WEST Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) is looking for residents to back his campaign over speed cameras fines in the region.
More than £1.6million is paid by speeding motorists in the region each year and Simon Foster, the PCC, is calling for the cash to stay in the West Midlands.
Currently the money generated from the fines go to HM Treasury via the fixed penalty office.
But Mr Foster is calling for the money to stay local and be used to ‘prevent, tackle and reduce crime and anti-social behaviour on the roads’.
The Labour PCC said: “Enforcement is at a cost to the local authorities and to the police.
“This means that money, which could be used to prevent, tackle and reduce crime and anti-social behaviour on the roads and improve road safety more generally, is being spent to generate revenue for Central Government.
“Enforcement to prevent, tackle and reduce unlawful speeding on our roads, should not come at a cost to local authorities or West Midlands Police.”
Mr Foster has launched a consultation which he hopes will put pressure on the Government to change the system to ensure money earned from speeding fines goes back into the West Midlands.
He said: “As Police and Crime Commissioner and as chair of the West Midlands Road Safety Strategic Group, preventing, tackling and reducing crime and anti-social behaviour on our roads, promoting road harm reduction and reducing the number of people tragically and avoidably killed and seriously injured on our roads are top priorities.
“This is because the consequences of road traffic collisions are catastrophic and devastating.
“All money generated through the enforcement of unlawful speeding on West Midlands roads, should be spent here.
“This can be used to fund further enforcement and improve safety on the road network for all road users, through interventions such as driver targeted behaviour change programmes, education and infrastructure enhancements, to make use of the road network safe for vulnerable road users, for example, pedestrians and cyclists.”
The consultation closes at midday on July 28 and can be seen here.
