Greenwich Target Nuisance Drivers

CCTV to be used to crackdown on Greenwich's nuisance bad drivers.

19:40 01 September 2019

Councillors have agreed to use CCTV cameras to catch nuisance bad drivers in Greenwich. Under the new scheme, irresponsible drivers who park at marked areas near schools, flout box junctions or ignore other rules of the roads will be slapped with a fine.

 

 

 

Officers said: “The enforcement of these restrictions by CCTV will reduce instances of contraventions leading to better compliance and reducing the likelihood of road traffic collisions, reducing congestion and smoothing traffic flows and improving air quality.”

 

 

 

Opposition councillor Matt Clare welcomed the decision but said it took the council too long to approve it.

 

 

 

He said: “We in the opposition welcome this item, although it’s unfortunate that it has taken so long. I remember discussing this in October 2014.

 

 

 

“This is an excellent opportunity to improve road safety and deal with the selfish behaviour of a minority of motorists. I just hope the council will take full advantage of it. Safety is priority but there is also a revenue objective that can be met.”

 

 

 

Councillor Jackie Smith, cabinet member for enforcement, said at a meeting on July 17: “Yes, it has been a long time coming, but it is a rather complex process that has to go through London Councils first. There’s an awful amount of work that has gone in to get to this point.

 

 

 

“We are hoping to get it all in place by the end of this year. It will give us the ability to deal with things that are at the moment police powers.  They will delegate those to us – they are to deal with things that on a daily basis we all see happening and are annoyed with.

 

 

 

“Particularly those that put members of the public at risk, like when people go mad in box junctions. It is about trying to change behaviour and until that is changed there will be financial penalties and that will pay for the scheme.”