West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker is taking steps to address road safety concerns by appointing volunteer commissioners. While the mayor emphasizes the need to change driver behavior and increase enforcement, campaigners argue that more substantial measures are needed to prevent further fatalities.
West Midlands mayor Richard Parker is in the process of appointing volunteer road safety and active travel commissioners. One of two posts to be filled early in the new year, the work will be part of daily work with councils, police and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) teams in address reckless driving, Mayor Richard Parker said.
'We need to change behaviours, we need to challenge those behaviours, arrest more people and have sentences recognising the seriousness of those crimes,' Mr Parker explained. Shivaji Shiva, a campaigner from Better Streets For Birmingham, said however: 'I don't think the mayor is going far enough and people are going to continue to die.' Additional mobile and average speed cameras have been deployed, he explained. 'The police are focusing a lot more on those places where those incidents are more severe,' Mr Parker said. He has also written to the region's police and crime commissioner to request revenue from speeding fines are used to fund road safety improvements. Neil, a caller on the WM programme from Bordesley Green, told him: 'I was involved in an accident on the Coventry Road and it's just frightening to go out there on the roads now.' He encouraged the mayor to 'get out there and look for himself' at motorists using the route 'like a racetrack'. In response, Mr Parker said he was shocked and distressed by the tragic incidents taking place across the region. Campaigners said the Mayor needed to do more to stop people being killed and seriously injured on the roads Mr Parker is in the process of appointing candidates to the two positions - attracting funding of a combined £10,000 a year - but their broad remit has been criticised by campaigners. Mr Shiva said: 'We've got two volunteer commissioners on modest honoraria as opposed to the previous salaried post'
ROAD SAFETY WEST MIDLANDS MAYOR VOLUNTEER COMMISSIONERS Reckless DRIVING
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