20,413 seen driving too fast after busy road goes to 30mph

SPEEDING motorists have been spotted tens of thousands of times on a busy south Manchester highway since a new speed limit was introduced.

A total of 20,413 speeding detections were picked up on the 30mph Princess Road between January 1, 2018 and July 5 this year.

Of those, 4,814 were handed fixed penalty notices and a further 2,118 were sent to court.

That’s an average of 37 a day more than twice as many as were detected on neighbouring Kingsway, where the limit is 40mph.

Mandie Shilton Godwin, a Labour councillor for Chorlton Park, says speeding is a ‘massive problem’ on all Manchester streets, including quiet residential roads.

“Unfortunately people just think they can get away with it,” she says.

“Speeding takes an enormous toll on people’s lives. Parents do not allow their children out to play and instead of our roads being sociable places where people walk and stop and chat to neighbours, they’re a source of stress and worry.

“It’s having a really corrosive effect on our neighbourhoods and society - but the thing is we’re all so used to it it’s become normal, we just don’t appreciate just how damaging it is.”

Coun Godwin says Princess Road is ‘now better than it used to be’ following the changes, but says there are still ‘far too many people going far too fast’.

On Kingsway, a total of 9,093 speeding vehicles were detected by the Central Ticket Office in the same time frame.

Of those, 2,288 were handed fixed penalty notices and 891 were progressed for court prosecution.

Greater Manchester Police provided the figures following a Freedom of Information request by the M.E.N.

The force does not hold records of the court result, so it is not known how many resulted in conviction.

Princess Road’s speed limit was first varied back in April 2017 following two fatal collisions and more than 80 accidents over three years.

It was permanently dropped to 30mph the following summer after hundreds of calls for change.

Many have welcomed the change, however some say the 40mph should have stayed in place.

Meri Lawson said: “I think it’s become more dangerous since they lowered the speed limit, people now speed up after the cameras and slam their brakes on right before the next camera. It’s now more dangerous than it was as a 40 road.”