Enforcement to commence to stop rat-running on Addenbrooke’s Road

DRIVERS using the Addenbrooke’s Road as a ‘rat run’ between the M11 and Cambridge are being warned they risk a £50 fine from May 22.

The road, originally built to access the hospital and the Biomedical Campus, is now being used by an estimated 400 to 650 cars a day as a shortcut to avoid busier routes such as Trumpington Road, Hills Road and Long Road.

However following feedback from patients who are arriving late or fear missing appointments, enforcement via Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras is being reintroduced.

To make sure everyone is aware of the ANPR enforcement, a number of measures are being introduced in the two weeks leading up to the enforcement starting:

• New signs will be displayed on the roads coming into the campus
• There will be warning messages placed on the dot matrix signs on the roads in and around the campus
• The local community, who have been largely in favour of the enforcement, are being contacted along with bus and taxi operators, staff on the Biomedical Campus and other local businesses
• Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will be informing as many patients as possible

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras is being reintroduced.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras is being reintroduced.

Anyone who is driving onto the campus to visit one of the hospitals or a business on the site will not be fined.

Chief Inspector Paul Ormerod, from Cambridgeshire Constabulary, said: “The Cambridge Biomedical Campus is home to world famous hospitals and cutting edge research, however it has also become known as a shortcut to get from the M11 to Cambridge to such an extent we fear this is causing patients to be late for their appointments.

“Clearly this cannot be allowed to continue which is why we are reintroducing ANPR camera enforcement with the support of the local community.

“We will do all we can to warn people not to rat-run – we are starting by giving drivers two weeks’ notice of the enforcement. There will be clear signage in place and we will be trying to inform as many people as possible before May 22.

“The enforcement is targeted specifically at the drivers who see the campus as a shortcut and we warn them now they will be fined £50 for each time they rat-run.”

David Plank, from Trumpington Residents’ Association, said: “We have long argued for and strongly support the action now being taken to ensure that the hospital and Biomedical Campus are not used as a through-route.

“The Addenbrooke’s Road was built solely as an access road and it is crucial to enforce this given the need to ensure proper care for patients and cater for the large increase in jobs on the campus. The roads which serve the campus are already congested and through-traffic is making this much worse.”

Stuart Hay, acting Director of Estates and Facilities at Cambridge University Hospitals, said: “With more than 400 cars rat-running through the site every day, it is affecting our staff and patients. We hope the cameras will deter drivers from using the access road to Addenbrooke’s as a shortcut and help our patients and staff coming to the hospital.

“Those who use the road correctly will have nothing to worry about and I’d like to reassure people there will be sufficient time to drop off patients, relatives or staff members without being fined.”