Safe Speed Forums

Safe Speed issued the following PR at 12:41 today:

PR240: Cash cameras - rich pickings

news: for immediate release

Figures just published by the Department for Transport under a Freedom of
Information request reveal the bloated scope of the speed camera programme.

Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign
(www.safespeed.org.uk) said: "Partnerships are supposed to spend between five
and ten percent of their bloated budgets on convincing the public that their
activities are worthwhile. They aren't and the public is increasingly
unconvinced."

"The plug must be pulled and the runaway gravy train must be stopped. Real road
safety and the Police public relationship are being irrevocably damaged by
greed and misinformation."

<ends>

Notes for editors
=================

New DfT document showing 'earning' by camera partnership area:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/d ... 040231.pdf

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I later learned that the Conservatives put out the original FoI, and they issued the following PR (which I received at 15:04)


Duncan: Treasury is siphoning off speed camera cash



Figures obtained by the Conservatives today under Freedom of Information have revealed that £114m is raised by speed cameras a year, with £22m being siphoned off to the
Treasury.

Shadow Transport Secretary Alan Duncan said:

“This provides yet more evidence that speed cameras are being used as a stealth tax to raise money from hard pressed motorists at a time of soaring fuel prices.

“The public will be staggered to learn that it costs more than £90m a year to run Britain’s speed cameras. These figures will fuel suspicions that many of them are being used as
cash raisers not life savers.

“But it is equally alarming to see that the Treasury is making more than £20m a year out of speed cameras. We think any money raised should be used to fund road safety
campaigns, not to fill Gordon Brown’s black hole.

“The entire regime for punishing people for speeding needs a complete review.”

ENDS

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Paul,

have you ever been able to establish any meaningful dialogue with the conservatives?

London...income up 20% expendature up 40%

Net result a BIG loss.

I wonder who is picking up the tab...

When the SCPs make a loss where does the money come from. Other services persumably.

_________________
Speed camera policy Kills

That would make a nice strapline under a gatso logo.

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"Are you sh**ing me?"
"John Spartan, you are fined one credit for a violation of the verbal morality statute."