Driving schools in Coventry have been shocked to hear that the cost of repairing broken speed cameras in the West Midlands is likely costing taxpayers an astonishing £136,800 per year. £750,000 of funding has already been scrapped for the devices in the West Midlands, however police are still paying out £1 million to keep the running in black spot areas.
A report to councillors revealed that 19 cameras were vandalised last year, costing between £2,500 and £4,000 each to repair. Councils have to pay for the repair work with taxpayers money as the police bidget doesn't cover the costs.
In a report Peter Francis, programme manager for the West Midlands Road Safety Partnership, comments "Consideration needs to be given to the deterrent effect of fixed sites that are no longer deployed to but where the [camera] housing is in situ.
"To be effective sites may have to be maintained to at least a level where they appear capable of deployment. This cost would not be found from the revised deployment proposals. It is estimated that the average cost of maintenance is around £200 per year per site to ensure signage is correct, check markings are in order and foliage is cleared.
"The proposed funding arrangements do not cover the cost of repair or replacement of any safety camera housings that are damaged, for example by arson. The cost of repair or replacement will vary according to the extent of the damage. For example if the damage is relatively minor and can be repaired the cost can be between £2,500 and £4,000.
"However, if replacement of a housing or radar unit is required the cost could rise to nearly £6,000. In 2010 there were 19 housings damaged and to date this year there have been three housings damaged. These sites cannot be used until repaired, and funding is currently not available through the revised deployment arrangements."