Action needed on Saddleworth speeders before it is too late, says councillor

A SADDLEWORTH councillor has called on police to take more action on drivers ‘knowingly’ and ‘willingly’ speeding before tragedy strikes.

And neighbourhood officers may be called on to try and catch those breaking the limit, even if it is for half an hour at a time.

Saddleworth South’s Graham Sheldon highlighted issues surrounding Uppermill’s high street as he voiced his concerns to Chief Superintendent Chris Bowen.

He fears that unless Greater Manchester Police is seen to be cracking down, an accident may be caused – especially as more pedestrians are out in the run-up to Christmas.

Cllr Sheldon told a meeting of Oldham Council: “At this time of year many of our constituents will be out and about preparing for Christmas and enjoying the many festivities around the borough. They’ll be on our high streets and they’ll be on our roads.

“Unfortunately, there are those that are putting everyone else’s life at risk – dangerous drivers, who knowingly and willingly flout the speed limits to show off, racing around the borough with complete disregard for the law.

“Having spoken to residents in my constituency, it is clear it is a persistent problem, with it being observed each Saturday in Uppermill.

“There will be hundreds of not thousands of pedestrians on the high streets of our borough each weekend, more so given that it is the season of festivities and works Christmas parties.

“These people who are simply out enjoying themselves frequently walk into the road and unfortunately given the dangerous drivers I’ve mentioned, this is an accident waiting to happen.

“I believe we should be proactive in responding to this as a failure to deal with this issue now will unfortunately mean that we will have to react when something does go wrong and this driving leads to a tragic incident.

“If we can nip this problem in the bud by deterring these dangerous drivers, we can save lives. Something needs to be done to reduce the level of dangerous speeding.”

Chief Supt Bowen insisted the Greater Manchester force is putting money into traffic officers.

He also revealed a plan that would see neighbourhood officers manning speed guns as they will know exactly where problems are in each area.

He said: “We are investing heavily in traffic officers and they are the key deterrent and ability to prosecute.

“We are also looking into the possibility of training up a number of neighbourhood officers who understand the local complexities around areas where speeding is particularly rife, around their ability to be able to do a bit of ad-hoc work.

“What makes it more of a deterrent is the ability to just go and do it for half an hour then go on and do the rest of your work.

“That ability makes a difference. We’re looking into that possibility at the moment.”