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Local Issues — West Berkshire
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A favourite hidey hole for TVP*, a bus stop on the Reading / West Berks border where they are hidden from approaching traffic by the bend until it's too late. (*Totally Vindictive Prosecutions)

A4 Bath Road heading out of Reading looking west towards the Mill Lane junction. The van is parked near to the studios of 2-TEN FM just east of Calcot near Fords Farm estate. Map with location arrowed. This minimally marked talivan regulary appears in what has been a favourite cash gathering spot for Thames Valley Police ever since the road was reduced from 50 mph to 40 mph, a limit you can clearly see is not justified as there are no houses on one side of the road (Click photos to enlarge). We don't believe this is an accident black spot, our members report hardly any accidents seen over many years.
Looking east towards Reading, this is the view you'd have of the van if you'd come of the M4 at junction 12. It is just after a short section of dual carriageway. Whilst the rear of the van has dayglo/relective stripes, the front is deliberately innocuous, and if it's a police vehicle why does it have amber roof lights instead of blue?
Answer: to catch more drivers and make more money.
40 limit planned for new A34/M4 junction?
IN Spring 2004, the Highways Agency proposed to impose a totally unnecessary 40mph limit in the vicinity of the redesigned junction of the M4 and the A34, this will affect all the new roundabouts and all slip roads to the motorway and A34. This junction recently underwent a complete reconstruction and the only possible reason for a 40 limit would be if the redesigned junction were to be so dangerous as to be incompetent. An inspection of the plans at West Berkshire council offices had revealed their justification for the plans:
"The Proposal is in the interests of road safety owing to the new road layout."
That's all there was.
In May 2004, we urged all drivers who use this junction to object to this incomprehensible proposal.
It would appear that the 40mph limit proposal has now been dropped, as the temporary speed limit for the roadworks has been lifted, though we are unable to find any announcement of it.
 
 
Beware of the Beedon Dummy
In the village of Beedon, just off the A34 north of Newbury, one local resident who clearly has far too much spare time on his hands (you know the type), has decided that cars are ‘speeding’ past his house, so he's erected a dummy policeman complete with imitation radar gun in his front garden. Police say it's on private property so it's perfectly legal. They also said there have been no accidents along the road for 3 years, but the resident clearly won't let that fact get in the way of a little hysteria. Let's hope the dummy doesn't cause any accidents that might injure someone and result in legal action being taken against the resident. Some motorists have taken to giving a friendly toot on their horn as they drive past.
 
 
M4 SPECS Rumour False
Another silly rumour is being circulated about SPECS speed cameras being hidden in new message signs on the M4 between J12 and J14. The Highways Agency have advised us that this is not true. The signs are merely linked to sensors that monitor overall traffic speed in order to activate the warning signs.
A similar rumour was circulated earlier this year relating to such signs on the M4 in South Wales. There is a growing suspicion that these rumours are being deliberately engineered by anti-car groups.

 
 
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