OFFICIALS IN Arizona have decommissioned the US state's entire speed camera network after complaints they were only in place to generate revenue and intrude on people's privacy.
The scheme has generated more than $76 million (£50 million) since its introduction in October 2008 and has seen a 19 per cent drop in fatal collisions on on the state's highways. However, anti-camera campaigners have spoken out against what they believe are Big Brother Police tactics.
The situation turned ugly in April 2009 when a motorcyclist shot dead a mobile camera operative in a drive-by killing.
I always understood that the more gun-minded American states had given up on fixed automatic cameras since they were invariably shot.
Shooting a camera operator is a bit extreme but with Government policy not to allow so called 'safety camera' partnerships a rake off from the fines, camera operators will soon be on the dole. I hope DWP treats them suitably harshly and they remain unemployable.
"with Government policy not to allow so called 'safety camera' partnerships a rake off from the fines, camera operators will soon be on the dole"
From MCN's website yesterday:
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/Gene...edundancy/
"Speed camera staff are facing redundancy due to Government road safety funding cuts.Camera bosses in Devon and Cornwall are making half their staff redundant after budgets cuts of 26%.The move means camera activity and fine numbers will reduce."
Shame - not
So...all the money that the government woulda made, from the fines, won't be made anymore, so what or who is going to pay for the loss in revenue?
No good applauding the end of the cameras and the fines that went with them, if they are going to hike up something else, such as road fund tax, etc yadda yadda.
I think sentencing camera operators to long-term unemployment with minimal benefits is far less humane and far better deserved than shooting them.
The shooter of the Arizona camera operator could equally have been from Montana or Texas as Alabama.
As for where local authorities recoup their revenue, they shouldn't need to since it was ring fenced for 'road safety' which predominantly meant more cameras although there were a few constructive road safety schemes. At last the road safety = speed management bubble has been burst and maybe we'll get some interventions which genuinely contribute to road safety.
To be fair everybody has to pay for the unemployed, even the unemployed themselves, as everybody pays tax in some form.
I agree with the comment about cameras at all traffic lights, I think traffic light cameras are very different to speed enforcement cameras. Jumping red lights is bloody dangerous, while going 60 in a 50 limit is a lot less so. Guess they wouldn't make enough money from the traffic lights though.
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