A man has started a one-man legal fight to get 13,000 fines overturned after he was caught speeding twice in one day.
Anthony Martindale has started a legal fight to get his speeding tickets overturned because he said he was caught on a Sunday when the roadworks he passed were unmanned. He also wants all 13,000 fines issued to drivers speeding on that stretch of road overturned.
Mr Martindale, 63, was caught twice in the same day on a stretch of road where the speed limit had been reduced from 70mph to 40mph because of roadworks. He was caught travelling at 46mph on his way out and 50mph on his return.
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He believes because he was driving on a Sunday when no construction work was taking place there was no threat to workers and that speed curbs should have been lifted. He said: "It's a matter of principle - I want justice to be done."
The driver, originally from Wallasey but now living in Manchester, has written to MPs, lobbied North Wales Police and contacted the Department of Transport. He’s fired off letters to newspapers, written to the Welsh Government and submitted Freedom of Information requests.
This revealed that, on six weekends at the start of this year, a total of 815 drivers were caught speeding on the same stretch of the A55 between Abergwyngregyn and Talybont, Gwynedd. Critically, Mr Martindale said, no one was fined the weekend of February 19-20 because all temporary signs were removed in case they posed a danger during Storm Franklin. His fines were from on Sunday, February 6.
He told NorthWalesLive: “If it was safe enough to have the signs taken down during a severe weather warning, allowing the traffic to resume normal speeds of 70mph, then surely the “narrow lanes” excuse can no longer be used as a reason for fining motorists.? Why was it not safe when I was doing 46mph and 50mph under normal conditions?
“Having had the signs taken down, did NWP not have a duty of care towards the motorist? Should they not have consulted with the construction company to have the signs made more secure rather than having them removed?”
Mr Martindale’s campaign has brought little sympathy from local drivers, who say warning signs are clearly visible and highways staff cannot alter the entire roadworks each weekend. But he warned English holidaymakers to be extra careful when using the A55 this summer.
Lane restrictions and 40mph speed limits are in place on the dual carriageway during a £30 million scheme to improve road safety. Access roads are being removed and a new parallel road with underpasses is being built for farm vehicles.
Mr Martindale said he is not the only motorist who thought the lower speed limits did not apply at weekends. 69 people were caught on the same Sunday as the dad-of-four.
Mr Martindale was fined £100, awarded three points on his licence and was ordered to take a drivers awareness course costing £90. The latter is due on May 16.
He said he hopes North Wales Police will accept the arguments of a man who cannot work for health reasons (arthritis on the spine) but who receives no benefits. He said: "I have to rely on my wife's minimum wage. It is morally wrong for the police to be acting in this way, especially with the cost of living rising so quickly."
Mr Martindale believes his campaigning is at least having one positive effect. He said: “On that stretch, I noticed that everyone was staying below 40mph and that no one was overtaking.
“Still, when you drive right along the A55 at 70mph, apart from the bit at Colwyn Bay, it’s quite a shock to suddenly hit 40mph, especially when no one is working on the road. I am terrified at the thought of taking this to court - but I am prepared to do it. I am determined they won’t get away with it.”
Back in March, Mr Martindale told the ECHO: “If any ECHO readers are planning to go to North Wales over the summer months, they need to be made aware that at the roadworks on the A55 at junction 12 and 13, anyone going faster than 40mph will be photographed and fined.”
A Welsh Government spokesperson said in March: “Narrow lanes and a 40mph speed restriction were implemented on the eastbound carriageway during March 2021 and on the westbound carriageway during October 2021. These restrictions were introduced to protect both the travelling public and the workforce.”
