A December ride

[noroomtomove]

Read the paragraph bellow, then for context the newspaper article follows.

The camera crisis emerged in the middle of last year when a fixed camera on the Western Ring Road recorded a 1975 Datsun 120Y travelling at 158 km/h. Independent mechanical testing showed that the car could reach only 117 km/h.

From the Age newspaper in Melbourne Australia.

"Almost 165,000 motorists caught by fixed speed cameras will have their fines waived or be paid compensation, costing the State Government $26 million.

The Government said yesterday it would repay fines totalling $13.7 million to 90,000 motorists photographed by suspect fixed speed cameras on the Western Ring Road.

A further $6 million would be available to compensate motorists who lost their licences after being snapped by the cameras.

And fines totalling $6.1 million from across the entire fixed speed camera network - covering the Western Ring Road, CityLink and the Monash Freeway - will be waived. These 43,725 fines have been frozen since November 12 last year.

Hundreds of drivers still without their licences because they were caught speeding on the ring road could be back on the road soon as the Government tries to placate an angry public over the cameras debacle. Some 2500 motorists who lost their licences last year received at least one speeding fine from a Western Ring Road camera.

But despite setting up the $6 million compensation fund, the Government probably still faces legal action by motorists.

Premier Steve Bracks pledged that the Government would not take away drivers' rights to sue.

He said every one of the 90,000 speeding fines ever issued because of Western Ring Road fixed cameras would be repaid and demerit points wiped.

Mr Bracks said he was angry about the extensive faults in the ring road cameras, but repeatedly refused to say sorry to motorists.

"I'm angry that the public of Victoria have had to endure a system where speed cameras did not work to the level which we expected and contracted for in the first place," he said.

"The community and the Victorian Government of course expect and deserve a fixed camera system (that) we can have total confidence in. And the measures we're taking today are ensuring that we have that in the future."

Mr Bracks emphasised the role of VicRoads in the speed camera issue, saying it obtained the cameras from supplier Poltech International, which is now under administration.

"It is unacceptable that the Western Ring Road fixed speed cameras have deteriorated to this point. It is unacceptable. We'll be investigating all legal options against Poltech International."

In other developments:

George Georges, deed administrator for Poltech, said Poltech was never responsible for maintaining the cameras and the Government was trying to make it a scapegoat.
Wear and tear, poor installation and electromagnetic interference were blamed for faulty readings on ring road cameras.
Former auditor-general Ches Baragwanath will investigate the ring road camera contract.
The Justice Department will manage all fixed speed camera contracts.
All 19 cameras on the ring road, which were installed in late 2002, will be replaced.
Opposition Leader Robert Doyle said Mr Bracks should sack Police Minister Andre Haermeyer and Transport Minister Peter Batchelor over the speed cameras.

He said the Government had ignored evidence last year that the camera system was not working and was now trying to claim credit for tackling the problem.

"They were the ones who in their greed for motorists' fines rolled out a system that was clearly inadequate and now they're trying to pretend to us that it's all under control," Mr Doyle said.

RACV public policy manager Ken Ogden said motorists deserved an apology. He also called for an independent, public process for checking the accuracy of speed cameras.

The camera crisis emerged in the middle of last year when a fixed camera on the Western Ring Road recorded a 1975 Datsun 120Y travelling at 158 km/h. Independent mechanical testing showed that the car could reach only 117 km/h.

Despite the speed camera woes, the Government will increase speeding fines by 2.25 per cent in July."

Datsun 120Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuC9E3H6FH8

Regards NRTM