Single lane traffic through Lower Bengeo
In August 2011 we sent a petition to our councillors asking them to push on with the Automatic Number Plate Recognition system that we think could help cut down the numbers of cars racing along The Avenue and The Wick in the rush hour. We had an update from them on 7 November promising that talks will take place soon with the police.
The county and district councillors on the East Hertfordshire Highways Joint Member Panel debated the rat run on Monday 7 November 2011. They considered a report that you can see with all the other papers for the meeting on the East Herts Council website here. Our item was number 7 on the agenda.
Sally Newton, our county councillor, wasn’t there but Peter Ruffles, one of our 3 district councillors, introduced the item with his usual enthusiasm. He asked his colleagues to ‘do their damnedest to get delivery here’ as this was the best opportunity there had been and the 2 sets of residents (us and the Lower Bengeo Residents’ Association) are united behind the proposed use of ANPR.
The route of the current rat run
County councillor David Andrews (Ware North) asked why the report said that there is little chance of private enforcement by camera when a system had recently been introduced on a bus lane in Hemel Hempstead. Andrew Freeman explained that the enforcement of bus lanes is the only exception. CC Andrews playfully suggested we call Byde St a bus lane but as we know no bus would ever get up and down it!
The chairman (Nigel Poulton) then said that he would support DC Ruffles and asked that full report be brought to the next Panel meeting.
This item was also covered by The Mercury. See page 4 of last Thursday (10 November 2011).
If you really want to get involved read what people were saying about it on the Discover Hertford bulletin board here. Or get in touch with us via the Contact link on our website.
Click here to see the previous ratrun story.