Recently our wardens joined police and PCSO partners for a joint road safety and environmental crime enforcement operation in Hoyland and on the Dearne Valley Parkway.

The aim of the day was to improve road safety by undertaking vehicle checks identifying drivers using mobile phones, speeding or travelling without seatbelts fastened as well as targeting rogue waste carriers and fly-tippers who have been operating in the area.

Over the course of the day, eight waste carriers were found to be operating lawfully while one vehicle was seized for operating with no waste carrier license. The driver is now under investigation for this offence and is set to be interviewed.

As part of the exercise on Dearne Valley Parkway, over 1,500 vehicles were checked using roadside cameras for compliance with seat belts and using mobile phones while driving. Over 50 speed checks were also conducted on vehicles in Hoyland.

Cllr Wendy Cain, Cabinet Spokesperson for Public Health and Communities, said:

“Our joining forces initiative is all about keeping our residents and our borough safe and operations such as this are a great example of the work done by our wardens and their partners.

“We won’t tolerate unlicensed waste carriers operating and blighting our borough with fly-tipped waste. It’s encouraging to see the majority of waste carriers spoken to during the operation were operating legally and action being taken against the individual who was not.

“It’s also important to remember that road safety is everyone’s responsibility with drivers ensuring they adhere to speed limits, wear their seatbelts and don’t use their mobile phone when driving.

“I’d like to thank our wardens, the PCSOs and their police colleagues who took part in the operation and made it a success.”

For more information on our Joining Forces initiative, visit our website.