A camera renowned for catching speeding drivers has been seen flashing every few seconds — with no traffic even passing.
One driver noticed a relentless flickering from the speed camera on Newport Road at the junction with Colchester Avenue in Pen-y-lan, Cardiff, with no apparent connection to what was happening on the road. The light flashed throughout the several minutes he spent in the area at around 11.30am on Thursday, leaving him concerned that illegitimate fines could be issued.
A spokesman for GoSafe — which manages Wales' speed cameras — said: "I’ve received confirmation from the Safety Camera Unit covering the South Wales Police area that no offences would be processed if the camera is faulty... I’m aware that this camera went offline recently due to a reported fault and that the supplier was investigating. I’ve enquired as to whether it has been back online since this fault or whether the investigation in to the fault is still ongoing."
In 2015 we revealed the same speed camera was the most prolific in Wales. The device had caught 12,107 motorists breaking the limit between April 2014 and March 2015. The 'speed on green' system means it can detect drivers who go through a red light as well as those who exceed the limit.
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Cardiff Council introduced the Colchester Avenue junction's camera in 2010 when a survey showed 11% of vehicles were exceeding the 30mph limit and 0.3% were going at speeds of 45mph or more. GoSafe said many vehicles had been seen going through a nearby red light at the time.
"There had been a number of minor injury collisions at the site over the years and it was considered that if controls were not put in place to deter drivers from ‘jumping’ the light then the frequency, and potentially the seriousness of these collisions would increase," said GoSafe, which is a partnership between police, councils and the Welsh government.
The camera spent some time out of use in 2020 due to road repairs. Shortly before it became operational again, Teresa Ciano from GoSafe said the proportion of drivers speeding on the route had risen to 29.7%. "To ensure the safety of road users and pedestrians, especially in an area with numerous commercial outlets and approximately 17,000 vehicles per day utilising the road, having the system operational again will hopefully increase compliance and make Colchester Avenue a safer road for everyone," she said.
Our freedom of information request earlier this year showed the camera was no longer quite the most prolific in Wales. It ranked fourth among Cardiff's cameras for the most offences recorded in 2021, catching 2,135 vehicles. Most speeding offences result in a fixed penalty notice of three penalty points and a £100 fine.
Following publication of this article, a GoSafe spokesman said on August 1: "I’ve been advised by the SCU Camera Tech team that the faulty camera on Newport Road was disabled on June 6 and no further captures were made. It was repaired and went back online on July 14, at which time it was fully functional."
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