Calls for police to 'do better' enforcing 20mph limits

The man in charge of Oxfordshire's roads has called on police to "do better" in enforcing speed limits on 20mph zones introduced across the county in recent years.

Since 2022, Oxfordshire County Council has introduced lower speed limits in 280 towns, villages and parishes as part of a scheme initially expected to cost £8m.

Gareth Epps, the council's transport chief, said the project had made the county's roads safer, but questioned the level of enforcement by Thames Valley Police (TVP).

Responding to the comments, the police force said it "takes road safety seriously" and carries out enforcement across Oxfordshire "based on threat, risk, collision data and community concerns".

In a wide-ranging chat about the 20mph scheme with BBC Radio Oxford on Wednesday, Epps said: "We would like to see a little bit more speed enforcement."

"It's just a question of priorities in Oxfordshire," he said.

"We've seen unfortunately some places where police were enforcing a 30mph limit and ticketing people then we've changed the speed limit and Thames Valley Police aren't looking at it."

"I think that's wrong, and it's also dangerous."

A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said its enforcement activity was "intelligence-led and focused on locations where there is the greatest risk of collisions resulting in death or serious injury".

"Recent investment in our Safety Camera Motorcycle Team will further strengthen our ability to respond to concerns raised by local communities and undertake proactive speed enforcement across the county, including in areas that can be more difficult to access.

The force urged residents with concerns about speeding in their area to report it.

"Information from the public helps us identify problem locations and target resources where they can have the greatest impact," it added.

Epps said TVP had issued "about 200" tickets to motorists breaching 20mph zones in Oxfordshire over the past year.

In comparison, Epps said police in Cornwall - which has similar 20mph limits and a comparable population to Oxfordshire - had handed out "about 11,000" fines in the same time.

"I do think they need to do better," Epps said of TVP.

"It's giving drivers the impression that they won't get caught if they drive at completely unacceptable speeds."

In 2024, TVP said new 20mph limits in Oxfordshire would be enforced, after it had previously suggested the force did not have the resources to do so.

It previously told the council that there should be "no expectation [TVP] would be able to provide regular enforcement if a speed limit is set too low".

Since then, Epps said he had been in discussion with the force and the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber.

In response to the councillor's comments on Wednesday, Barber said: "Thames Valley Police can and do enforce 20mph limits if there is a significant need."

He highlighted Department for Transport guidance that "such roads should be self-enforcing with signage, engineering or traffic calming measures".

"We all want safer roads, but many residents will feel that the council's approach is increasingly ideological rather than delivering a transport network that enables residents to move around the county freely and safely," he added.