Speed shocker

In an average hour at least ten motorists are breaking the limit with the majority clocked doing between 31-36 mph.
However, every day on average 718 were recorded as going even faster.
And at the quietest time of night, 2 am, 11 motorists were still regularly breaking the speed limit in the royal burgh.
Residents are now demanding action after seeing the shocking results of the traffic counter, which was positioned on Lockerbie Road at the end of June – and which clocked a much lower 850 daily speeders in a similar study last year.
Leading the calls for change, Annandale North Councillor Adam Wilson said: “The results of this investigation confirm what the residents of Lochmaben know all too well: there are too many speeding vehicles passing through our town.
“Every speeding vehicle that passes through puts other road users and pedestrians at risk of serious injury or fatality.
He added: “Council officers will be quick to point to the fact that the average speed recorded was 30.3 mph but this is purely a play on numbers.
“The council must now seriously consider how to implement measures to reduce this and work with the local community to make the A709 though Lochmaben much safer.”
The results have disgusted community councillor Tony Hancock, who said: “I have wanted that street reduced to 20 mph for a while, and the 30 mph signs pushed back either side of Lochmaben, so that drivers see earlier on that it is a 30 zone.
“The amount of vehicles that come through here, it is a great risk and something needs done.”
Responding, a spokesman for Dumfries and Galloway Council said: “The council arranged a speed survey at the east end of Lochmaben.
“The mean speed for both directions is 30 mph; the average daily traffic volume was 6776 vehicles, of these 2055 were travelling at between 31 mph and 36 mph and 718 were travelling in excess of that.”
He pointed out that enforcement of speed limits is a matter for Police Scotland and said the results will be shared with officers.
Meanwhile, Sergeant Doug Millar of the divisional roads policing unit, acknowledged the high figures and said: “Police Scotland, and in particular the divisional roads policing unit, are aware of the concerns from local residents in Lochmaben regarding speeding vehicles passing through the village.
“We also acknowledge the figures recently supplied by Dumfries and Galloway Council regarding a high percentage of vehicles travelling at above the speed limit within the village.”
He confirmed police have carried out checks locally and helped the community council set up a community speedwatch scheme.