Blackburn with Darwen Council has installed high-tech CCTV cameras from Videalert to tackle dangerous parking at a key route into the town. Cameras have been installed on the A678 at Copy Nook on the Furthergate Link Road, a route that has been widened under the Pennine Reach Scheme to improve the flow of traffic buses between Hyndburn, Blackburn and Darwen.
The cameras have been sited on the red route which was introduced in September 2017, to enforce ‘no stopping or loading’ in the designated area. This is the first time that these powers have been used outside London, Birmingham and Edinburgh.
“We are optimistic that the enforcement of these powers will deter the dangerous parking and driving behaviours that have plagued this new road since it was opened,” said Cllr Phil Riley, Executive Member for Regeneration. “The Council wants to ensure the road is safe for everyone to use and has invested in the cameras to send out a clear message to those thinking they can flout the rules. We will take action against those who choose to ignore the rules and put people’s safety at risk by parking irresponsibly.”
The Videalert platform will deliver this enforcement at a significantly lower infrastructure and communications cost than other solutions as it uses a single lamp post-mounted processor equipped with a single 4G SIM to support up to four cameras simultaneously. The cameras will monitor and enforce the full extent of parking and potential moving traffic contraventions on this red route.
“Urgent action was needed to address the significant safety issues that were occurring in the Copy Nook section of the red route,” added Stuart Scott, Highways and Network Manager at Blackburn with Darwen Council. “We hope that the new cameras will reduce the number of highly dangerous offences such as driving in the wrong direction and parallel parking on the dual carriageway.”
Blackburn with Darwen Council is now in the process of identifying other locations, including a number of local schools and hospitals, where a similar configuration of cameras could be used to enforce multiple traffic contraventions.
“This successful deployment further strengthens the case to change legislation and allow councils across the UK to enforce moving traffic contraventions in areas other than red routes,” said Tim Daniels, Sales and Marketing Director at Videalert. “With police resources nationally at an all-time low, the time is right for the government to make this change.”
