04 May 2010
Mr MORRIS (Mornington) — Since early this year my office has received a steady stream of complaints about a new traffic camera installation at the corner of the Nepean Highway and Bungower Road, Mornington.
I have no problem with traffic cameras generally, nor do I have a problem with traffic cameras in this particular intersection because it is a difficult intersection. It is now carrying a lot of traffic, and if the cameras were working accurately and catching motorists who were offending, I would have no argument at all. But there has been a consistent tenor to these complaints.
Many of the complaints come from experienced drivers with either very few infringements over a long period of time or unblemished records — we are not talking about hoons here. Given the flood of complaints and the consistency of the comments, I believe there are sufficient grounds to question the accuracy of the cameras and the appropriateness of the infringement notices.
The issue I am raising this evening is for the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. The issue is the operation of fixed traffic cameras at the Nepean Highway‑Bungower Road‑Shandon Street intersection in Mornington, and the action I am seeking from the minister is that he undertake a review of every fine that has originated from these cameras from their first day of operation to 30 April this year.
This is not a conventional intersection. It has wide open spaces with big distances across. It is an intersection where two major roads, Nepean Highway and Bungower Road, and two minor roads, Shandon Street and Tallis Drive, funnel together. In many of the complaints, whether the drivers were turning from Bungower Road into Nepean Highway or from Nepean Highway into Shandon Street, the vehicles appeared to have entered the intersection on the green light and been unable to clear the intersection in a reasonable time following the light turning red.
To give some flavour of the complaints I will quote a letter from a constituent:
I have been driving since I was 20 years of age and never been in trouble or ever had a fine in 53 years. I am now 73 years of age and consider myself to be an extremely careful driver.
At the time in question I had already entered the intersection on a green light, waiting to complete my turn, and by the time oncoming traffic had cleared the light had already turned red, but I still had to complete my right‑hand turn, otherwise I risked being caught within the intersection. I did not run the red light nor did I speed up to do a right‑hand turn. I merely completed my right‑hand turn.
The number of complaints received by my office and the Mornington Peninsula Leader now exceeds 100, and they continue to roll in. Indeed two have come in tonight.
We need the public to trust these cameras if they are going to do what they are intended to do and make these intersections safer.
I urge the minister to investigate the situation and take whatever action is necessary to ensure that those who have been issued with fines are dealt with fairly.
Legislative Assembly 4 May 2010
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