A bungled rollout of mobile speed cameras has resulted in motorists in southern NSW avoiding fines in July while those in the state’s north, including parts of Sydney, have been caught out.
The state government has blamed the situation on the company that was awarded a $77 million contract to operate mobile speed cameras in southern NSW being unable to buy enough vehicles due to COVID-19 disruptions.
Labor described the rollout of the new three-year contract as a “massive administrative failure”.
Nearly all 20,000 fines from mobile speed cameras in July were to motorists in the state’s north.Credit: Robert Rough
The figures show that the top-100 locations for mobile speed camera fines in July were in the state’s north. In comparison, the number of tickets issued in Wagga Wagga and Queanbeyan fell to zero in July, from 339 and 152 respectively the previous month.
Labor’s roads spokesman John Graham said technology company Acusensus’s inability to deliver on its contract in July had led to a record number of fines being handed out in the state’s north and nearly zero in the south.
“It is a major inequity. This program is already controversial because of the community’s concerns about revenue raising,” he said.
“It has crashed from record highs to zero across about half the state.”
Labor’s John Graham has described the mobile speed camera contract as a ‘massive administrative failure’.Credit: Kate Geraghty
Fine revenue from the government’s mobile speed camera program rose to $23.7 million in the 12 months to last June, from $2.3 million in the prior period.
Under fire at a budget estimates hearing, Centre for Road Safety executive director Bernard Carlon said the COVID-19 pandemic had had a significant impact on Acusensus’ ability to buy vehicles and fit them out with speed cameras before its contract began.
“There was a short-term impact on their ability to deliver,” he told the hearing.
Mr Carlon said the company had since expanded its speed-camera fleet from three to 14 vehicles, and was “ramping up” to meet its contractual obligation to operate cameras by the year’s end.
In comparison, Redflex had a fleet of 45 vehicles when it started its new $91 million contract to operate cameras in the state’s north for the next three years.
Motoring group NRMA said the issuing of record mobile speed camera fines in one half of the state in July and nearly zero in the other half was a poor outcome for road safety.
“Public confidence in the enforcement program is really important for its success,” NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said. “The program has expanded considerably, and it’s three times what it used to be in terms of hours and location of cameras.”
Acusensus also confirmed that former NSW police minister Troy Grant continues to act as a strategic advisor to the company. “Mr Grant’s work does not involve any lobbying,” Acusensus said, adding that neither he nor the company had met MPs or ministers since March last year when he began his role.
It referred questions about the speed camera contract to Transport for NSW.
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