Strathclyde Police is to introduce a Community Speedwatch initiative, and as the local Road Authority South Ayrshire Council will be providing support for this initiative by adopting new procedures.

Local community groups who are concerned about inappropriate vehicle speeds within their community will be offered the chance by the Police to take part in the Community Speedwatch programme.

Volunteers within the community, who are over 18 years of age, will be trained by the Police to operate hand held radar equipment, which records the vehicle registration of vehicles that exceed the speed limit. Any recorded information will then be passed to the Police for their attention.

The radar equipment will not be calibrated to the high standard of those used by the Police, which are required for enforcement purposes, and therefore prosecutions will not be generated from this type of monitoring.

Any community group who wishes to be involved in the initiative will have to meet certain requirements stipulated by Strathclyde Police:

• There must be a minimum of 6 volunteers including a Co-ordinator and Deputy.
• All volunteers must be at least 18 years of age.
• Possible speed monitoring sites must have been identified.
• Identified sites must have a 30 mph speed limit.
• Agreement must be reached with the Council to display signs.
• They must funding or gain sponsorship to purchase a radar device, high visibility jackets, mobile telephone, warning road signs, and public liability insurance.

After considering the initiative, Members of the Economic and Tourism Committee decided to support it, as the Council actively encourages slower and safer speeds on roads in South Ayrshire. However, it was decided that permission would only be given for the road warning signs to be displayed if the following conditions were met:

• The sign locations are deemed safe and appropriate by the Council.
• The sign design is consistent with other authorities within the west of Scotland.
• The signs have to be provided, erected, maintained and removed at no expense to the Council.
• Where a scheme has not operated for twelve weeks all signs associated with the scheme must be removed.
• The Council will not accept any liability as a result of the presence of the signs or any part of the scheme’s operation.
• The Council cannot give permission to operate a scheme on a trunk road such as the A77.

The Council will require no additional resources during the operation of the initiative as it is being run by Strathclyde Police.

Anyone who would like further information about the Community Speedwatch initiative should contact Strathclyde Police.


March 2005