The number of cameras in certain parts of the UK has risen twelvefold in just six years, it has been reported. The total number of sites rose from 1,672 to 4,737 between 2001 and 2007, contributing to a huge increase in the amount of money raised for the Government. The cameras raised just over £10 million in 2001 to £120 million in 2007 and in that time the cost of a speeding ticket went up from 40 pounds to 60 pounds.
The figures were released by the Department for Transport in a written reply and show areas such as Cumbria had no cameras in 2001, but by 2007 there were 44 on the county's roads. Humberside was also camera-free in 2001, but by 2007 it had 82. Mid and south Wales have apparently also seen a large rise in cameras, going from 74 to 355 during the same period. There was a tenfold increase in Wiltshire, going from six cameras in 2001 to 63 by 2007.
There has been a backlash against the way cameras schemes are run, with Tory-controlled Swindon Council voting to have the devices removed from its streets. The DfT defended its use of cameras. ‘Safety cameras are there to save lives, not make money,’ said a spokesman. ‘Independent research has shown there are 1,745 fewer deaths and serious injuries at camera sites each year.
The Government is clear that the best safety camera is the one which takes no fines at all, but succeeds in deterring drivers from speeding.’
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