I read through gritted teeth this morning that the "temporary" speed cameras used on the M1 near me whilst there are roadworks taking place, have been so successful that they are to stay once the roadworks have ended.
Now, I might have mis-understood this but I thought that the word 'temporary' meant they would eventually be dismantled. Obviously I was wrong. The Chief Inspector for Nottinghamshire Police is quoted as saying;
"When the project finishes, that stretch of motorway will become a managed stretch of motorway where the cameras will be used to enforce variable speed limits. While they are there temporarily at the moment as a time distance section, in the future when the M1 [widening] is finished there will be variable speed limits, up on the matrix boards, and they will have camera support".
So, why the change of heart? Was it because they worked in slowing down the traffic down and kept the workforce safe during the roadworks? Well, if that's the case, why would you need to slow the traffic down if there is no workforce on the road anymore? It doesn't make sense.
Maybe they will help manage the traffic and avoid congestion? Well the whole point of the roadworks has been to widen the road from 3 lanes to 4 lanes to - wait for this - ease congestion. That reason makes no sense either.
There is an obvious answer that springs to mind about why these cameras are staying. It isn't a workforce safety issue, and it isn't a congestion easing measure either. It comes down to cold, hard cash because between May 2008 to October 2009, 5,084 vehicles were recorded as breaking the limit on that stretch of the motorway and being fined. I think that the fine for speeding is £60 - although I could be wrong - so that means that in about 18 months at least £305,040 was made. Where does that money go to? Well it obviously does not go to repairing local roads (have you seen some of the pot holes around here?), and it isn't used to offset the annual car tax we all pay. The only thing that seems to be funded are more cameras. So that must be it. The fines pay for more cameras, to fine more motorists, to install more cameras, to fine more motorists, and on and on it goes.
Image by Andy Davey
And now to add insult to injury, not only do motorists have more cameras ready to fine them - some of that fine will be given to victims of crime (according to this report). How's that fair?? When a sex offender or wife beater is convicted and made to pay my car tax, then it'll be fair. Why can't the convicted criminal pay compensation to the victim? Why should an innocent motorist be forced to stump up to help. Ludicrous. Absolutely ludicrous.
Seems like the motorist is an easy target for giving the government cash. You know it wouldn't surprise me to find Mr Brown syphoning my fuel tank one morning, and then selling it back to me. He'll do anything to make a bit of money after he's spent everything in the kitty.
Now, what was the reason given for the cameras being kept on again? Do we really , honestly, believe that?
