Caught on Camera
There’s a fair bit of whinging in the popular (read: Murdoch) press about speed cameras in NSW, the latest of which is about how the government’s “robbing” tollway motorists to the tune of $10 million, over and above the $41 million for other speed traps and $200 million in tolls. It’s fairly hilarious to hear the complaining, regardless of whether the money is earmarked for road safety programs or just going into the general budget. “Blatant revenue-raising” is the charge made by the Opposition leader. The focus of this particular article on the revenue from toll roads implies that paying a toll entitles drivers to violate speed limits, but when 15,000 fines are issued in a six-month period for a single stretch of tunnel, you can see there’s a problem. Sydney drivers are very aggressive, but beyond what’s already being done, there’s little the government can do to alleviate the problem. Drivers garner demerits and have their licenses suspended eventually, even revoked, and still they speed, run lights, tear through pedestrian crossings. I’m very happy with the cameras. I’d like more. If you don’t, well, don’t speed.