If you're ever at a loose end and want to see an interesting spectacle, stroll along the northern relief road when the police Go Safe speed camera van's present. It's been there quite often recently. It tends to wait opposite the Glasdir housing estate with its rear camera pointing towards Lôn Parcwr industrial estate and the river.
Motorists from the mart can see the vehicle in plain sight long before they pass it. When they do, they stick painfully to 25 mph along the long straight towards the Clwyd bridge whence they repeatedly check their rear view mirrors to ensure the camera's out of sight before, predictably, speeding up.
Those from the Tesco end, unless warned by approaching traffic, come across the van at rather the last minute. There's the straight section from the Clwyd bridge to a gentle left-hand curve that obscures the van from on-coming traffic where, suddenly, the van pops into view. It's interesting to watch their driving habits as they blunder, unsuspectingly, into the gaze of the camera. On go the brakes but, of course, by then it's too late.
Critics say that there are no 30 mph signs along the so-called bypass. This, though, is probably an excuse, as traffic tends to exceed speed limits elsewhere in town, no matter where, no matter when. There are no repeater roundels required along lit streets with lamp columns not more than 200 yards apart—indeed, this is not just superfluous but isn't it illegal?—and the bypass, of course, remains within the town's posted 30 mph zone. The main issue, though, is that the road "feels" more like 40 than 30 and it was actually designed at 38 mph, so we're told.
I am not sure exactly why Go Safe sees the road as a regular target, though: there are no frontages or junctions along the Go Safe stretch (apart from the roundabout, which naturally slows motorists) and I am not aware of any collisions thereon reported.
