Speed cameras have been suggested as a possible solution to the traffic problems facing residents in a village in the south of the island.

They were discussed as a way of enforcing speed limits in Ballabeg at a public meeting last week.

If introduced, it would be the first time speed cameras were used in the island.

Traffic and safety manager for Department of Infrastructure, Kevin Almond, told villagers the most effective way of slowing people down is enforcement, and the easiest way to do that is using technology.

The public meeting was called following complaints about traffic congestion and speeding in Ballabeg - and claims that not enough speed checks are being carried out in the village.

A number of residents at the meeting said they would support the introduction of speed cameras in certain locations. One said: ’It’s the only way it’s going to stop people. You have to have a deterrent.’

Another said: ’I would be prepared to accept them now. At one time I wouldn’t have. But I’ve seen across that they do work. We are reaching the stage with the amount of cars on the road that we’ve got start to do something drastic.’

A third said: ’The best way to reduce speed is education and introduce the national speed limit. It’s a national problem.’

Asked if he would support speed cameras, Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Graham Cregeen said: ’It depends where you want them.

’What I’ve had before is that people have complained about speed and so police have done enforcement and sometimes they catch the people who have complained about speeding in their own areas.’

He said speed cameras have not proved politically popular in the past, adding:’It would have to go out to the public.’’

The DoI’s director of highways Jeff Robinson said: ’Speed limits in themselves don’t work - they have to be followed up with enforcement and education, and engineering of the road to create an environment where the driver wants to slow down.

’Getting the balance of that combination is very difficult. As a department, we are very keen to bring back the sense of villages where perhaps the balance has gone a little bit too far in favour of the car driver.

’We need to try and give the streets to a certain extent back to the people who live there.’