ALG Transport and Environment
Committee
London Safety Camera
Partnership Operational Case
2006/07
Report by:
Damian Price
Date:
16 March 2006
Contact
Officer:
Damian Price
Telephone:
020 7934 9909
Job
title:
Emai
l:
Item
No:
11
Transport and Planning
Section Manager
[email protected]
This report provides details of the content of
the operational case which is for submission to
the Department for Transport by the London Safety
Camera Partnership for continued inclusion in the
hypothecation initiative for financial year
2006/07
Recommendation Members are recommended to:
 endorse the continued involvement of the ALG
s:
and the London boroughs in the London Safety
Camera Partnership
Summary:

agree the operational strategy as summarised
in this report which has been submitted to
the Department for Transport for approval
Introduction
1.
This report provides details of the content of the next
operational case to be put forward to the Department for
Transport (DfT) by the London Safety Camera Partnership
ALG Transport and Environment Committee 91
Item 11
London Safety Camera Partnership Operational Case 2006/07
16 March 2006
Agenda
for continued inclusion in the national Cost Recovery
Scheme for financial year 2006/7.
Background
2.
The London Safety Camera Partnership (LSCP), formed in
March 2001, utilises and develops the use of London’s
network of fixed speed and red light cameras to reduce
speed and casualties on London’s roads. The fixed
cameras are augmented by dedicated mobile enforcement
vans equipped with both radar and laser speed measuring
equipment. In addition to detecting and processing
offenders, a dedicated Enquiry Function exists to trace
persistent and evasive offenders.
3.
The London Safety Camera Partnership consists of the
following core members:
Transport for London (TfL)
Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)
City of London Police (CoLP)
Association of London Government (ALG)
Her Majesty’s Courts Service (HMCS)
In addition, the Highways Agency (HA), London NHS Region
and London Crown Prosecution Service are non core
members.
3.
A Project Board, consisting of senior officers from each
of the core partnership organisations, is responsible
for over seeing the strategic management of the LSCP
supported by a Project Team of practitioners who both
provide key information and action decisions. Both
bodies meet every one to two months.
Operational Case
4.
For the LSCP to originally be accepted into the DfT
initiative an operational case was submitted. The
Operational Case submitted, set out a five year
strategy, with a detailed case for the initial year of
operation. This document detailed the casualty reduction
targets and the enforcement strategy that would be
deployed to ensure that they were met.
The LSCP was
accepted onto the national scheme in April 2002. Since
that time all operational costs have been fully
recovered and the Partnership has become self financing.
It is a requirement for a revised detailed case to be
submitted in December of each subsequent year for
approval to continue on the Scheme for the following
financial year.
ALG Transport and Environment Committee 92
Item 11
London Safety Camera Partnership Operational Case 2006/07
16 March 2006
Agenda
5.
The Operational Case for the LSCP for 2006/7 was
submitted to the DfT on 28th February 2006. The strategy
for the coming year is aimed at enhancing previous
years’ success, which has shown that, at camera sites
installed by the Partnership, the number of people
either killed or seriously injured (KSIs) at camera
sites installed by the Partnership has fallen by over
50% (internal casualty analysis submitted to quarterly
to the LSCP Board), well above the national average.
This success can be attributed to the in depth analysis
that targets speed related crashes which is carried out
for all potential new sites.
6.
All LSCP camera sites will continue to be operated under
the criteria set by the Department for Transport. For
new speed sites, it must be shown there is an existing
killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualty problem –
with four or more speed related KSI collisions at each
location over the last three calendar years. Coupled
with this analysis, a comprehensive speed survey is
carried out at each site to justify its continued use. A
site will continue to be included where at least 30% of
traffic is travelling above the posted speed limit.
7.
Whilst the national criteria for new sites have been
relaxed, the LSCP proposes to continue with the old
criteria until all sites on the list have been
exhausted. This strategy will enable the Partnership to
target the sites with the most need.
8.
Red light sites will undergo a similar analysis, but a
two or more KSI collisions over the same period is
proposed.
9.
Live cameras are only deployed at existing sites that
meet the above criteria. This has allowed operations to
target the cameras at sites where there is still a KSI
casualty
problem.
The
graded
deployment
strategy
developed means that sites with the more serious
casualty histories benefit from three times more
enforcement than previously. Under the grading of
deployment, no site within the scheme has less
enforcement than previously. Existing sites that do not
meet the criteria are fully maintained and fitted with a
dummy unit and continue to flash drivers in excess of
the speed limits or running the red lights. Should the
casualty profile change the site can be brought back
into the enforcement cycle.
10.
The concentration of effort towards the processing
operation has enabled the Partnership to establish a
ALG Transport and Environment Committee 93
Item 11
London Safety Camera Partnership Operational Case 2006/07
16 March 2006
Agenda
solid platform from which to offer a wide ranging and
sustainable service in future years. For the financial
year 06/07 the Partnership intends to continue with its
implementation of the “Cradle to Grave” approach
submitted to and approved by the TEC Executive on 15th
September 2005. This will see an improvement of 11% over
the coming year in the conversion rates of Notices of
Intended Prosecution issued to Fixed Penalty Notices
paid.
11.
A more educational approach will also be adopted for
year 2006/7, with the advent of Speed Awareness Courses
being offered to some drivers who are marginally over
the speed limit. It is estimated that in the year,
around 100,000 of these courses will be offered.
12.
In future the camera site infrastructure will use the
digital option. It is initially proposed to install 25
new sites in the year. These will all use digital
technology. As this is the final year for the
Partnership under the current funding arrangements, the
Partnership proposes to review expenditure in September
2006 and, if funds allow, further sites will be applied
for at this time.
13.
The use of digital technology will allow the Partnership
to re-deploy resources to improving the conversion rate
of the number of Notices of Intended Prosecution issued
to Fixed Penalty Notices paid.
14.
All existing safety camera sites will continue to be reassessed. This assessment will include yearly speed
assessment and frequent monitoring of the casualty
history. Existing red light sites will undergo a similar
casualty analysis.
15.
The Partnership will continue to operate 15% of mobile
camera usage in areas that do not meet the current
criteria. This camera time is offered to boroughs and
will continue to mean each borough will benefit from
two, one hour mobile deployments per week once site
assessments are complete. It is hoped that these will
centre around community areas (schools etc) or be
combined with the borough’s own safety initiatives (Walk
to School Week) - though the final choice will be down
to the boroughs. Indeed, MPS participation in “The Walk
to School” initiative accounts for 80 mobile enforcement
sites and has been widely acclaimed in the communities
it has be operating.
16.
In accordance with the Handbook of Rules and Guidance
for the National Safety Camera Programme for England and
ALG Transport and Environment Committee 94
Item 11
London Safety Camera Partnership Operational Case 2006/07
16 March 2006
Agenda
Wales for 2005/06, the LSCP operates a communications
strategy that is aimed at reducing the volume and
severity of speed related and red light running
collisions through improving the public's understanding
and awareness of safety cameras in London. The main
strategy will take the form of local activity of
supporting
borough
events,
radio
advertisements,
billboard and bus back advertising. Regional activity
will target male drivers 25+ in age, and a new web site
will be launched.
17.
Maintenance of the cameras falls under the partnership’s
remit.
18.
The whole operation will be funded by the fine revenue
from paid conditional offers, providing the costs are
those previously identified in the Operational Case. The
forecast income and expenditure for the year are as
follows,
19.
Income
Expenditure
£12,098,508
£10,963,194
Surplus
£1,135,394
The actual size of the surplus will be assessed at the
six month review in September 2006. Any surplus will be
used to implement new digital camera sites in the year.
This half yearly assessment will ensure the risk each
Partner organisation carries will be minimised and
controlled in the last year of operation under the
current funding rules.
For information, the risk levels each Partner has signed
up to in the original Operational Case 2002 are as
follows
Partners
Transport for London
Association of London
Government
Metropolitan Police
Service
City of London Police
% Risk
24%
10%
Total
100%
61%
5%
Proportion of Risk
ALG Transport and Environment Committee 95
Item 11
London Safety Camera Partnership Operational Case 2006/07
16 March 2006
Agenda
Conclusion
20.
Ultimately, the Partnership's success is measured by the
DfT on how it achieves its overriding objective. which
is to reduce the number of Killed or Serious Injuries
(KSIs) on London's roads.
Cameras installed before the Partnership existed but
would have met the criteria if applied retrospectively
show a 33% reduction in KSIs when comparing three years
before and after installations.
Overall, the average quarterly reduction in KSIs at
sites installed by the Partnership has been over 50%.
These results vindicate the Partnership's strategy of
targeting the sites with the high numbers of KSIs with a
speed related element to their cause and are confident
the strategy will assist the boroughs in delivering
their casualty reduction targets.
The DfT has proposed changes to the funding arrangements
from April 2007. The impact of these changes are still
being assessed, the impact of this will be reported as
soon as it becomes available.
Financial Implications
21. As
a
core
member
of
the
London
Safety
Camera
Partnership, the ALG has a 10% share of any liability. This
was agreed in the original Operational Case in 2002. So far
no net liabilities have occurred and it is not anticipated
that there will be any during 2006/07, which is, in any case,
the last year of the initial 5 year partnership agreement.
Legal Implications
22. There are no legal implications for the ALG or the
boroughs arising from this report.
Equalities Considerations
23. There are no equalities implications for the ALG or the
boroughs arising from this
report.
ALG Transport and Environment Committee 96
Item 11
London Safety Camera Partnership Operational Case 2006/07
16 March 2006
Agenda
Recommendations
24.
The Committee is recommended to:

endorse the continued involvement of the ALG and the
London boroughs in the London Safety Camera Partnership

agree the operational strategy as summarised in
this
report which has been submitted to the Department for
Transport for approval
Background Papers
Short
Title of
Document
Date
File
Location
Contact
Officer
Report to
TEC
Executive
(item 7)
London
Safety
Camera
Partnershi
p: Revised
Operationa
l Case
2005/06
15th
Septembe
r 2005
ALG
offices,
59½
Southwark
Street
Damian
Price
ALG Transport and Environment Committee 97
Item 11
London Safety Camera Partnership Operational Case 2006/07
16 March 2006
Exempt
Info Para
under
Schedule
12A
n/a
Agenda