Speeding in an area of Ipswich which has a 20 miles per hour speed limit is a "serious issue" says Suffolk Highways, following a councillors' concerns.
Ipswich borough councillor for the Holywells ward, George Lankester, has raised concerns over speeding in the Rosehill area of the town, namely Newton Road and Alan Road.
Both roads have a 20mph speed limit, and are close to a primary school and have a nursery and a large hall located on one of them.
He said: "I have contacted Suffolk County Council’s highways department and the Suffolk police and crime commissioner, calling for urgent action to improve traffic speed enforcement and safety in the Rose Hill area.
"I have received a response from the police and crime commissioner’s office confirming their stance that 20mph zones are expected to be self-enforcing.
"While I appreciate that resources can be limited and priorities difficult, the reality on roads such as Alan Road or Newton Road, is that average speeds remain well above the limit, and recent accidents have caused injuries in an area heavily used by families and pedestrians.
"I am urging Suffolk police to review their current approach and work with Suffolk County Council to ensure residents can feel safe walking and cycling in their own community.
"Families walking to Rose Hill Primary School, or the churches, nurseries or shops should not have to fear dangerous driving. Action is urgently needed before someone is seriously hurt."
A spokesperson for Suffolk Highways said: "We understand the councillor's concerns about speeding and agree with him that this is a serious issue.
"However, Suffolk County Council does not undertake speed enforcement. That is down to the police, who have also advised us that they will enforce 20mph speed limits.
"We take the issue of road safety and speeding very seriously. In this area of Ipswich traffic calming measures have already been put in place to address local concerns.
"Speed Tables, which are raised sections of road, have been installed at crossroads to slow traffic and improve safety, particularly at junctions and other high-risk locations.
"We continue to monitor the effectiveness of these measures and will review the situation with the police and local councillors if further action is needed."
A Suffolk police spokesperson added: "We’re always very conscious of the concerns expressed by residents who experience speeding motorists where they live and the detrimental impact and concern this creates for locals.
“For many of our local police teams across the county, addressing this is one of their priorities, and local officers will conduct high visibility monitoring visits on a regular basis as part of routine scheduled activity.
"On occasions, dedicated operations will be instigated between community policing teams, sometimes involving Specials and the Safety Camera Team to focus on particular locations.
"Our community policing teams also conduct regular engagement with local parishes encouraging residents to join Community Speed Watch to set up new locations.
“This scheme allows us to train up residents to visit the location to record the details of offending vehicles.
"Anyone caught speeding will be sent a letter from us informing them of their offence. We also monitor the data so we can take action against repeat offenders or those severely breaking the speed limit.
"If you'd like to join a Community Speed Watch group near you, or want to know more about the scheme: Email our Community Speed Watch team or read our volunteer guidance.
“Finally, a reminder for driver not to use speed limits as targets - the faster you are travelling, the less time you have to react to the unexpected and stop safely. Please slow down and driver responsibly."
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