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• by David Craik

16th August 2001
Page 6
Page 6, 16th August 2001 — • by David Craik
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Police traffic officers are reported to be contacting the headquarters of the Association of British Drivers on a "regular basis" questioning the purpose of speed cameras. Some serving officers are concerned that the government is using cameras simply to increase police force revenue—and not to reduce road casualties.

Tony Vickers, the London representative of the HD, made the revelation as the government announced it is extending its "netting off" scheme—where money collected from fines is reinvested in more cameras—to encompass 12 regions. The scheme has already been tested in eight areas.

"This is continuing the speed camera conjuring trick," says Vickers. "We know that certain officers describe the scheme as the Cash Register."

As part of the extension, which the government claims reduces the number of deaths and injuries on the UK's roads, police forces will now have to ensure cameras are highly visible to drivers. The location of the cameras will have to be announced in local papers, on local radio and on web sites and will also have to be placed in areas known to be accident blackspots.

Vickers says that although these stipulations are "good news", he does not want to see new cameras in these problem areas.

"They should relocate the cameras that are already in lower risk areas," he says.

"The government knows these cameras are a stealth tax on drivers. They just don't want to lose face by scrapping them."

The four new regions in the "netting off" scheme are Derbyshire, Lancashire, North Wales and Staffordshire.


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