Hundreds of tickets issued on Cranford St

Residents have speed concerns about traffic on Cranford St. Photo: Supplied
Residents have speed concerns about traffic on Cranford St. Photo: Supplied
Police issued 341 speeding tickets on Christchurch's Cranford St last year.

It comes as Papanui-Innes Community Board member Ali Jones raised concerns that police were not patrolling the area enough to catch speedsters.

“There is no doubt that speeding and red-light running are issues along the [Christchurch Northern Corridor] and in St Albans generally,” Jones said.

In an area of Cranford St with a speed limit of 50km/h, one car allegedly reached speeds of between 91km/h to 100km/h.

In the same speed zone, six drivers were allegedly travelling between 81-90km/h, 37 between 71-80km/h, 252 between 61-70km/h and 40 between 51-60km/h.

In an area with a speed limit of 30km/h, four drivers allegedly reached speeds of between 41-50km/h, and one between 51-60km/h.

Ali Jones.
Ali Jones.
Last year, Jones raised concerns with the board about traffic speeding in Cranford St and the Christchurch Northern Corridor, noting she did not see a police presence in the area.

She said an average of less than one speeding ticket per day was issued on Cranford St and did not alter her position on this.

“No amount of quoted police data relating to the number of tickets issued or average speeds is going to change what many of us regularly see and experience,” Jones said.

Christchurch City Council data taken in May shows an average daily traffic count of 24,741 on Cranford St, between Innes Rd and Knowles St, with an average speed of 42km/h.

Lower down on Cranford St, between Westminster St and Berwick St, the daily average was 23,098, with an average speed of 37.5km/h.

Police declined to give statistics on how many speeding tickets were issued on the CNC, stating these would be recorded as State Highway 76 and could have been issued anywhere along the highway.

When asked how frequently the roads were patrolled, police did not specify a number, stating the area was patrolled “to a level supported by the risk it poses compared to the rest of Christchurch.”

Said Jones: “The number of tickets issues are related to the amount of policing, surely, and we still don’t know that amount.

“This is about the safety of our community, and I believe the council and police need to work together more effectively to address these problems.”