NSW Speed Camera Territory's too 'covert'

[AWD Chaser]

http://www.news.com.au/national/mobi...-1225911149575

ANGRY drivers forced the State Government to make the new covert mobile speed cameras more visible, after almost 50 motorists a day were secretly photographed in the past month.
The cameras go live today, with full enforcement in place after more than 1370 motorists were caught speeding during a trial between July 19 and last Saturday.
There were 732 drivers caught in Sydney, with more than half photographed at two hotspots in Blacktown and Pittwater.

But drivers were not fined during the trial - they were sent warning letters notifying them they had been caught.

The Government yesterday conceded a backlash from angry motorists had forced the covert vans to be clearly marked with orange and white stripes and RTA logos.

"As a result of public feedback during the trial period, the cars carrying the mobile speed cameras will now be marked vehicles," Roads Minister David Borger said.

The cameras will be deployed to 150 locations across six regions in NSW.

"The fact is mobile speed cameras work. They slow drivers down, they change driver behaviour and save lives," Mr Borger said.

RTA data from the trial showed there were 224 drivers caught at Blacktown Rd, Blacktown, 215 on Pittwater Rd at Collaroy and 137 at two locations on Kissing Point Rd at Oatlands and Parramatta. Other hotspots include the Pacific Highway at Pymble on Sydney's North Shore and the Hume Highway at Villawood.

A spokeswoman for Mr Borger said the program would be reviewed after a year and potentially refined.

She said there had been a 29 per cent reduction in speeding fines last month during the trial.

"While this result is encouraging, we need to see a substantial response over a period of time," she said.

The Government expects the mobile units to be operating 12,500 hours a month.

But it denied the cameras are a revenue-raising exercise, with a 25 per cent reduction in casualty crashes when they were introduced in Queensland and Victoria.

NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said marking of the vans was a win for motorists.

"We are pleased to see that the Government has listened to the public and is now going to mark these vans, that's a good step," Mr Khoury said.

Now wtf - it says it denies the camera are a revenue-raising excercise, but they clearly said on the roll out, thats exactly why they are bringing them in!