CCTV used to catch motorists

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Successful pilot scheme catches minor offences
Scheme may be extended nationwide by 2008
Measures part of new Traffic Management Act

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CCTV cameras could be used to target law-breaking motorists – despite transport secretary Alistair Darling last week ruling out using number plate reading cameras to record driving offences.

A pilot project in Camden, where CCTV cameras have been used to catch motorists unloading in 'no waiting' areas, stopping in yellow box junctions or making illegal left or right turns, has been considered a success.

The scheme will spread to other London boroughs later this year. Councils across the country are then likely to be granted the power to use CCTV to catch motorists and issue fixed penalty fines by 2008.

The measures are part of the Traffic Management Act, which aims to improve traffic flow. While Alistair Darling last week ruled out using automatic number plate reading cameras to catch motorists, saying it was an invasion of privacy, there seems to be no such objections to the use of CCTV.

However, the AA Motoring Trust says that, while speed cameras have to be painted yellow, CCTV devices are often far harder to spot. It is concerned that councils will use CCTV to make easy targets of motorists breaking minor laws and collect fines.

Even speed cameras are likely to get harder to spot, though. From 2007, safety camera partnerships will no longer keep the revenue generated by cameras, so they will no longer have to follow rules which state they need to placed in easy view, signposted and painted yellow.