Driver says new 40mph speed limit is 'cash cow'

A DRIVER says the new speed limit on a busy road is a council ‘cash cow’ after nearly 1,000 speeding tickets were handed out in just a year.

Raymond Evans has been using this route on A49 Tarporley Road in Stretton for decades but now he is among the many drivers to be fined after being clocked exceeding the new 40mph speed limit.

The speed limit was introduced in February 2022. As of February 2023, 963 speeding tickets had been handed out, a Freedom of Information request revealed. Following a speed awareness course and after talking to others, Mr Evans was concerned by how often a mobile speed gun was in operation on this stretch of the road.

He said: “The 963 offences in a year in a location where there is no fixed camera is quite shocking by anyone’s standards.”

Mr Evans also believes that the significant number of speeding fines handed out is due to a lack of signage on the road.

This would particularly apply to those who have used the road for a number of years and are used to the old speed limit in place.

After contacting the council with these concerns, Mr Evans was left to believe the change in speed limit is more of a ‘cash cow’ than a ‘genuine concern for road safety’.

But the council says the changes came in a bid to reduce the number of collisions on the A49 Tarporley Road.

A Warrington Borough Council spokesperson said: “Safety cameras are provided by the Cheshire Road Safety Partnership where speeding is resulting in collisions.

“The speed limit on the A49 Tarporley Road was reduced to 40mph in early 2022 and, since the introduction of the reduced speed limit, there has not been any collisions reported.”

The council also says that it is satisfied that the signage in place is clear. Mr Evans was told by WBC that it is a driver’s responsibility to ensure they know the speed of the road. “Officers have undertaken a review of the road traffic signs and carriageway markings on-site and we are satisfied that the signage is correct, clear and supported by repeater signs along the route, reminding drivers of the speed limit,” a spokesperson added.