New figures show that speed cameras are generating £20 million of extra revenue for the government's coffers as the number of fixed penalty fines issued in England and Wales has rocketed from some 260,000 in 2000-2001 to 1.8 million in 2003-2004 -- a seven-fold increase.
A report in the Telegraph suggests that the increase in cameras, up to 6,000 of which 2,500 are mobile units, is the direct result of a government decision that allows local councils to retain any revenues generated by the devices. However, if the councils don't spend the money, the cash goes directly into central government's war-chest.
Only two counties remain free of "safety camera partnerships", consisting of local councils and police and which manage Gatso installations, according to the report: N Yorks and Co. Durham.
Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said the most cameras had brought "real benefits in safety and prove that they are justified", while the Conservatives have renewed their call for a review of what they called "a stealth tax" on motorists.