RE: Camera cash KO
Tuesday 2nd October 2007
A council has slashed its budget for speed cameras because it says they are more about making money than saving lives.
North Somerset Council used to give £300,000 a year towards funding cameras in the area.
But members have now decided to cut the funding by £100,000.
And they warn they may give NOTHING next year because they claim so much taxpayers' cash is wasted on public relations and red tape.
Camera bosses have accused the council of being irresponsible.
A spokesman for the West of England Road Safety Partnership said: "This will put lives at risk. The vast majority of residents agree that cameras play a vital role in cutting speeds and casualties."
But North Somerset's transport chief Elfan Ap Rees said: "Motorists have wised up to where the cameras are and slow down and then speed up again."
And he accused the Government of using speed fines to swell Treasury coffers instead of ploughing the money back into road safety schemes.
Captain Gatso, campaigns director of Motorists Against Detection, told Pistonheads: "Now the authorities have finally woken up to the truth that we, the under-siege motorists, have known all along - it's all about raising money. The end is nigh for speed cameras!"
Camera cash KO
Beginning of the end?
North Somerset Council used to give £300,000 a year towards funding cameras in the area.
But members have now decided to cut the funding by £100,000.
And they warn they may give NOTHING next year because they claim so much taxpayers' cash is wasted on public relations and red tape.
Camera bosses have accused the council of being irresponsible.
A spokesman for the West of England Road Safety Partnership said: "This will put lives at risk. The vast majority of residents agree that cameras play a vital role in cutting speeds and casualties."
But North Somerset's transport chief Elfan Ap Rees said: "Motorists have wised up to where the cameras are and slow down and then speed up again."
And he accused the Government of using speed fines to swell Treasury coffers instead of ploughing the money back into road safety schemes.
Captain Gatso, campaigns director of Motorists Against Detection, told Pistonheads: "Now the authorities have finally woken up to the truth that we, the under-siege motorists, have known all along - it's all about raising money. The end is nigh for speed cameras!"
Discussion
ing shame!!
Yippeeeeee!!!!!! 
Looks like councils have finally realised that the money from these things is squandered on nothing and they dont get a single thing out of them. I think that we will get this sort of news more and more often as the cameras fade into obscurity. The government simply doesnt want to admit that they were a huge mistake. Besides, they have probably got another great con on the way (road pricing??)
Timberwolf said:
Do we know where the £200k saved is going?
Or is it a case of, "Gordon's just slashed our budgets, so in return we're going to tell him to stick his surveillance society where the sun doesn't shine."
£100k saving, but still, I wonder where that's going... Or is it a case of, "Gordon's just slashed our budgets, so in return we're going to tell him to stick his surveillance society where the sun doesn't shine."
And I'm happy that one council has wised up.
has been for a while, none of the 'recalibrated' ones round my neck of the woods have been replacedA word of warning to all you people who think that cameras are a total rip off.
I do actually as a few mph over the limit is a victimless 'offence' as far as I am concerned.
However
I come from a time before speed cameras , I pods and the X factor when instead of speed cameras whose locations were known you had officers with speed guns. . . . . .wherever they liked.
and if that was miles away from the rest of the world on your favourite bit of country road or hidden behind any hedge or bridge.
Then thats where they were.
Be warned you may even hark back to the 'good old days' when there were stationary permanently sited speed cameras.
I do actually as a few mph over the limit is a victimless 'offence' as far as I am concerned.
However
I come from a time before speed cameras , I pods and the X factor when instead of speed cameras whose locations were known you had officers with speed guns. . . . . .wherever they liked.
and if that was miles away from the rest of the world on your favourite bit of country road or hidden behind any hedge or bridge.
Then thats where they were.
Be warned you may even hark back to the 'good old days' when there were stationary permanently sited speed cameras.
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