Fast roll out of mobile speed cameras backfires

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/news/general/fast-roll-out-of-mobile-speed-cameras-backfires/2241743.aspx

Fast roll out of mobile speed cameras backfires
BY MICHELLE HARRIS
29 Jul, 2011 04:00 AM
The state's mobile speed cameras were rolled out so swiftly last year the RTA did not have time to identify sites with the greatest safety risk where it should deploy the cameras and instead used old police locations.
NSW Auditor-General Peter Achterstraat's audit of speed cameras, released this week, found "there may be other locations for mobile cameras with greater road safety risk" than those the RTA used at present.

"This is because it had a short timeframe to roll out mobile cameras so it used sites based on former NSW Police Force locations," the audit said.

The former Labor government announced the cameras' roll out in March last year to address the state's road toll.

The six mobile cameras began issuing fines last August and have since earned $1.5 million.

Mr Achterstraat found the early results of the cameras' effectiveness were encouraging, but it was too soon to make findings. The RTA had recently identified some higher priority spots for their use.

Roads Minister Duncan Gay said he was concerned they had not targeted the highest risk sites from the outset.

"We will be looking for further evidence before we go further with mobile speed cameras," he said.

The government also ordered 38 of the state's 141 fixed speed cameras sites be turned off, after the audit found they provided no safety benefit and Mr Gay declared them "revenue raisers".

The audit found no evidence cameras were positioned to raise money.

Among those turned off were cameras at Newcastle Road, Lambton.