A fine time for Tayside speed cameras

Sir, – I read with interest your cover story in The Courier (January 16) stating that a freedom of information request revealed that in the past year over 60,000 speeding fines, at £100 a time, had been issued to motorists in the Tayside area alone.

There is no doubt that those speeding excessively, in some cases more than double the speed limit, deserve all they get for their complete and utter disregard for the safety of others. However, I would suggest that the raising of over £6 million shows a darker and more sinister side to the issuing of so many speeding fines.

Even the method of tracking motorists’ speed speaks more about money than road safety.

I have noticed, time and again, that the Tayside Camera Partnership vans which go out with their back hatch window lowered so the camera can be trained on on-coming vehicles, aren’t always clearly positioned; in fact, I would suggest that, despite the reflective signs on the back of these vans, they are invariably and deliberately camouflaged under foliage and behind road signs and trees.

Surely if these vans are genuinely parked in accident black spots, intent on slowing the traffic, they would be highly visible with their blue lights on?

The truth of the matter is that, more often than not, these vans are not parked where there are genuine problems but in 40 and 50mph zones where there’s money to be made; seldom are they seen outside schools, hospitals and old folk’s homes.

It must be obvious to even the most stubborn traffic policy-maker that if such a number of people are voting with their accelerator foot, then – by and large – the speed limits are insufficiently low and need raising.

However, the fact that the authorities would be quick to scorn such an idea only reinforces my suspicion that the majority of these 60,000 tickets were issued with the intention to make money rather than to promote road safety.

This being the case, it’s to the utter shame of all those involved that it’s the motorist – already stung for MoT, car tax, and fuel costs – who is forever bled dry.

Jamie Buchan. Grove Road, Dundee.

Speed cameras on the A90 – are traffic fines more about revenue raising than road safety?