Crackdown on bad driving is 'not war on motorists'

Stricter enforcement of traffic rules "should not be seen as a war on motorists", a councillor has said.

Lincolnshire County Council has compiled a report detailing ways to make roads safer.

Councillors' recommendations include traffic wardens giving higher priority to roads outside schools, with communities being given the right to fund CCTV cameras there, and blue badge parking bays being enforced around-the-clock.

Councillor Tom Ashton said the proposal to let local communities fund CCTV cameras outside schools would be a "seismic change".

He said: "It recognises that we as the county council can't do everything, and we have to work in partnership with communities, helping them to help themselves."

The authority recently agreed to fund CCTV cameras outside 10 schools with the worst traffic problems, with the potential to expand to more.

Other suggestions include a formal policy on weight limits for HGVs in some areas, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillor Gary Taylor said the report "wasn't a war on motorists" but aimed to "balance safety and traffic flow".

Meanwhile, councillor Tom Smith told of his own frustrations at being unable to secure a space in a disabled parking bay.

He said: "As a blue badge holder, I've seen how hard it is to get a space.

"I've witnessed flouting of them after 6.30pm because residents know parking wardens aren't walking about."

And councillor Robert Gibson said mandatory no-parking markings and prioritisation of schools was "music to my ears".

"The sooner we can look at this, the better for parents," he added.

The report has been sent to the council's executive for consideration.

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