Lane Cove Tunnel's speed cameras capture "thousands"

[Dave_au]

It seems like the speed cameras were active nearly as soon as the tunnel opened. Worse still for those who frequently used the tunnel at night, the speed cameras were also adjusted for 40km/h work zones. Apparently some people have already received up to ten tickets for exceeding 30km/h in a 40 zone (the tunnel is usually 80km/h)

More here:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/...205218579.html

and at www.roadwatch.com.au

Originally Posted by SMH

Tunnel anger: lawyer plans suit

May 29, 2007 - 3:00PM




Latest related coverage

• Drivers contest fines for speeding in tunnel

Sydney lawyer Dennis Miralis says he is planning to launch a class action against the Government and the RTA after thousands of motorists were fined for speeding in the Lane Cove Tunnel.

Some of the 10,000 motorists caught speeding in the tunnel during its first six weeks of operation have complained they were unaware the speed limit had been cut to 40kmh during late-night maintenance.

They said they did not notice warning signs or workmen and the first they knew of the lower limit was a letter informing them of a $590 fine and three-month licence suspension.

The normal speed limit in the tunnel is 80kmh.

Mr Miralis is calling for fined drivers to come forward.

He says the Government has failed to comply with variable speed limit regulations by not giving motorists advance warning of changing speeds in the tunnel.

Mr Miralis, who sued the Government over faulty speed cameras last year, says he is co-ordinating with speed camera website Roadwatch to compile a list of fined drivers.

NSW Roads Minister Eric Roozendaal has refused to listen to commuter anger and will not review the fines.

Mr Roozendaal's tough stand comes even though the tunnel operator has also joined calls for a review.

But Mr Roozendaal said speeding was a serious issue and ruled out reviewing the fines, instead suggesting disgruntled motorists pursue their case through the local court system.

"There is no safe level of speeding and drivers need to take responsibility for their actions and slow down," Mr Roozendaal said.

"If a driver feels they have particular circumstances they can go to the local court and put their case to a magistrate but it is the responsibility of drives to observe the speed limits."

He said drivers could request from the Roads and Traffic Authority a photograph from inside the tunnel at the time of the offence to indicate whether the changed speed limits were obvious.

Ian Hunt, the chief executive of the tunnel's operator Connector Motorways, said his company would also rexamine its design, signage and warnings to ensure motorists had ample warning of speed limits.

"Tunnel safety is our number one priority and we urge motorists to adhere to speed limits at all times," he said.

"It is nonetheless important that motorists have confidence that speed infringement systems are operating correctly. Those drivers who are genuinely speeding should be penalised."

AAP, Alexandra Smith and Jordan Baker

[Ridin-High]

speed camera's saving lifes their....... not

[Mongoose]

Raise the limit from 80km/h to 180km/h and see how many people are caught speeding

[GK351]

My sister lost her licence + $570 or thereabouts for doing 76 kp/h in the M5 tunnel when it first opened,

Normal operating speedlimit is 80kp/h

Speedlimit at the time was 40 kp/h due to maintanence. That was at 1 AM.

Apart from the 3 or 4 LED 40kp/h signs there were no other obvious signs placed
on the road. No traffic marker cones, no workmen or traffic control to be seen throughout the whole tunnel. Fair enough she should of been more carefull looking at the posted speed limits but come on, at least have marker cones and other safety signs even have a couple traffic controlers holding stop/slow lolipops.

I can only imagine how many others have been nailed like this.

[Falchoon]

http://www.speedingfineconsultants.c...ces/legal.html

[Piotr]

Originally Posted by GK5766

My sister lost her licence + $570 or thereabouts for doing 76 kp/h in the M5 tunnel when it first opened,

Normal operating speedlimit is 80kp/h

Speedlimit at the time was 40 kp/h due to maintanence. That was at 1 AM.

Apart from the 3 or 4 LED 40kp/h signs there were no other obvious signs placed
on the road. No traffic marker cones, no workmen or traffic control to be seen throughout the whole tunnel. Fair enough she should of been more carefull looking at the posted speed limits but come on, at least have marker cones and other safety signs even have a couple traffic controlers holding stop/slow lolipops.

I can only imagine how many others have been nailed like this.

On your average road you only have 1 or 2 signs to show a change in speed limits. She missed twice that number, deserves the fine

[DBourne]

Originally Posted by GK5766

My sister lost her licence + $570 or thereabouts for doing 76 kp/h in the M5 tunnel when it first opened,

Normal operating speedlimit is 80kp/h

Speedlimit at the time was 40 kp/h due to maintanence. That was at 1 AM.

Apart from the 3 or 4 LED 40kp/h signs there were no other obvious signs placed
on the road. No traffic marker cones, no workmen or traffic control to be seen throughout the whole tunnel. Fair enough she should of been more carefull looking at the posted speed limits but come on, at least have marker cones and other safety signs even have a couple traffic controlers holding stop/slow lolipops.

I can only imagine how many others have been nailed like this.

be grateful for that man. i know in melbourne most speed cameras have NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO signage.. we have it good in syd.
if you cant read the 2 or 3 warnings you deserve to get caught

[ltd]

Originally Posted by Piotr

On your average road you only have 1 or 2 signs to show a change in speed limits. She missed twice that number, deserves the fine

Wrong. There are rules that govern the application of speeding zones and the justification to go from 80 to 40. The rta have been caught out before on this matter and cannot legally issue the fine; lane cove tunnel.

[Outbackjack]

It takes a fair bit of negative publicity but here we go....

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599...0-1702,00.html

To all you speed camera lovers, maybe you might reconsider your primadonna attitudes and open your one firmly closed eye. I really hope that you are on the hit list!!!! You all know who you are!!

[|||]

if i was a workman i would much rather the traffic around me was going 40 instead of 80

[Shonky]

Even when there is no workmen?

[merlin]

Yep all fines for the 40km/h limit (which are 44% of fines for the LCT since opening) are being dropped due to inadequate signage.

Too bad my $77 fine stands.

[Mechan1k]

They have been doing the road work 40km/h speed limit thing along Windsor Rd for months ... even when there were no workers out working ... and when there were no safety cones or road work signs ... they still had 10-15km/h of empty dual carriageway signposted at 40km/h.

It's quite difficult having to maintain that speed for well over 10 kms when there's nothing on the road ... heading home after a nightshift.

I took a different route home ... although adding another 15km on the distance home ... i still made it home quicker.

But after seeing speed camera popping up in different places ... it's not for safety ... just doing to for revenue raising ... just like the camera entering the M2 tunnel ... I see that camera go off all of the time ... and people are still dumb enough to speed past it.

[ltd]

Even the Road Tax Authority admit it was revenue raising; simply, NSW is broke, revenue cameras are a tax grab - nothing more. Anyone who believes they are there for safety really needs to get a taste of reality, Bob Carr freely admits they were introduced as a revenue stream which had the added bonus of reducing costs for the police.

This latest round of rip offs is simply another tax grab. Furthermore, speed cameras spend only 5% of their life calibrated, and therefore should be challenged whenever possible. Put the onus back on the RTA to prove that you were travelling at that alleged speed.

[OLDFORDNUT]

Originally Posted by Outbackjack

It takes a fair bit of negative publicity but here we go....

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599...0-1702,00.html

To all you speed camera lovers, maybe you might reconsider your primadonna attitudes and open your one firmly closed eye. I really hope that you are on the hit list!!!! You all know who you are!!

HERE HERE.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
amazing they even admit they put them up to get money while no workmen even there. surely thats unconstitutional.

[One Drone]

It was BS. I went to a forum called roadwatch to complain and we rallied to get some journos and the media to talk about it. After SMH did, others followed then all of a sudden that same thread went to 3 pages to 16 in a few hours.

Needless to say people power works! Never had a fine myself before, and still never will.

[sexyxe]

ah, its always good to hear that some one is being HONEST and admitting that they are revenue raising, If you want them to save lives put them where there needed not in a tunnel and gather fines at night!
damn cameras