Speed cameras are a ’logical and pragmatic’ solution to speeding, the chairman of the newly combined Arbory and Rushen Commissioners believes.

Ongoing concerns about traffic - both at Ballabeg and Ballafesson - were raised at the authority’s inaugural meeting last week.

The clerk, Phil Gawne, has written to the Department of Infrastructure to look at introducing speed cameras in these areas.

Newly-appointed Commissioners’ chairman Jane Glover said: ’It’s something we still believe would be a good way forward.

’We know that our police force is already stretched and we know that speeding is a problem on an island-wide basis. So from our perspective we really do hope that national government will continue to look at the issue of speed cameras. To us, it seems like a logical, pragmatic solution that if people were caught without the police resources having to be tied up it may well put people off.’

She added: ’It certainly works in the UK so why not in the Isle of Man?’

The commissioners also discussed the temporary national speed limit of 40mph which was introduced in March during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Safety

Mrs Glover said: ’Quite a few of the commissioners felt that this is something that has really benefitted our parishes.’

She added: ’The 40mph limit has made it feel safer within our villages and people have quite liked it.

’Whether the entire population would agree with that...but certainly it’s noticeable that it’s felt safer.’

The DoI said it would review traffic calming measures at a public meeting held at Arbory parish hall in November last year.

Ballabeg residents told the meeting they don’t feel safe in the village.

Director of highways Jeff Robinson admitted there were ’no easy solutions’ to reducing traffic speed.

He said the DoI prioritises work using a list of the ’worst accident spots’, which Ballabeg wasn’t part of. But residents countered that ’the only reason no one gets hurt is no one dares to go out’.