£230k speed cameras aim to cut 'racing' on bypass

Average speed cameras similar to these will reduce the limit to 50mph

Average speed cameras have been installed on a bypass known for reckless driving.

The cameras on Bingley Bypass in Bradford will aim to stop motorists "racing up and down" the street, an issue that has long plagued the stretch of road.

The £230,000 scheme has been installed between Cottingley and Keighley - along Sir Fred Hoyle Way and Airevalley Road.

Councillor Marcus Dearden said the cameras were "the first of their kind".

'Ideal deterrent'

He said: “To get the funding for this scheme shows Bingley District Councillors are being listened to.

“The average speed check cameras are the ideal deterrent and will help to stop the racing up and down the bypass which wakes people in the early hours of the morning.”

The scheme also involved reducing the speed limit along the entire stretch – from the roundabout at Cottingley through to the roundabout by Marley Stadium in Keighley – to a constant 50mph (80km/h).

This speed limit reduction had come in part due to calls from West Yorkshire Police.

Funding for the work came from the government’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement following a bid from Bradford Council.

There have been calls for more to be done to tackle dangerous driving on the stretch of road for years.

In late 2023, one driver was caught by police after reaching 115 mph on the road.

As well as the danger posed by reckless drivers, the noise from speeding cars has also caused disturbances for people living near the road.

Last summer Leeds City Council installed the first permanent average-speed cameras in West Yorkshire, which are now located on the A6120 Outer Ring Road and the A647 Stanningley Bypass.

A speed limit reduction from 70mph to 50mph was also introduced on that stretch of road.