Villagers angered by flashing speed signs
Road safety campaigners have claimed flashing speed signs in a village on the Shropshire/Mid Wales border are not working properly.
Members of Llanymynech and Pant Bypass Action Group believe two vehicle-activated signs set up to slow down traffic going faster than the 30mph speed limit on the A483 in Pant, near Oswestry, only start flashing if a vehicle is travelling towards the units faster than 40mph.
But Shropshire Council officials have insisted the signs are working correctly and have said they will meet with members of the action group to discuss their concerns.
The dispute is part of a long-running campaign by residents for a bypass to be built to ease traffic and reduce speeding motorists on the A483 through Pant and Llanymynech.
The vehicle-activated signs were set up last year by Shropshire Council in a bid to make it safer for people crossing the road to reach shops and a doctor's surgery.
Members of the action group will discuss the issue further at a meeting on Tuesday at the Dolphin Inn in Llanymynech
Mike Catt, chairman of the action group, said: "The flashing speed signs in Pant are the ones that record speed, time and size of vehicle. But they are, or seem to be, either switched off during certain peak times or calibrated wrongly.
"I have reliably been told at times 40mph had to be reached before they flashed and subsequently recorded the speed.
"We want the vehicles to slow down going through the villages. But we also want to record the offenders who break the limit, how many, what speed and what type of vehicles."
Councillor Simon Jones, Shropshire Council's cabinet member responsible for highways, said: "Our systems show that the signs are working effectively and we will do another check on site today to ensure this is the case.
"All vehicle activated signs are triggered at the speed limit plus 10 per cent, plus two, therefore a 30mph limit will have a trigger of 35mph.
"If the group would like more information, we'd be happy to discuss it further with them."
Tuesday's meeting of the action group, which will celebrate a year since it was formed, will start at 6.30pm. All are welcome.
