The multimillion-dollar cost of operating mobile speed cameras raking the cash

We crunched the numbers to identify the worst black spots for unmarked cars - and the top earning fixed speed cameras.

Taxpayers are forking out almost $20 million this financial year for a private company to operate mobile speed cameras, with that cost expected to increase when the number of hours cameras operate triples.

A contract worth more than $112m was awarded to Redflex Traffic Systems in 2018 to operate the mobile speed cameras, with that contract in place until 2023.

There is $19.7m allocated to the program for 2020/21.

A NSW mobile speed camera.

Operation of the scheme is funded through the Community Road Safety Fund – meaning a percentage of the millions of dollars raised by mobile speed camera fines is being paid to the private operator to deliver the program.

Meanwhile, modelling used to justify removing warning signs from mobile speed cameras and increasing their hours of operation is still being kept secret.

Analysis by The Daily Telegraph reveals that one mobile speed camera location nabbed drivers 418 times in March, issuing $101,188 in fines.

The top-billing mobile speed camera location for March was at Richmond Road in Homebush West, heading North.

Port Macquarie man John Dawson was fined by an unmarked speed camera going about 78kmph in a 70km zone on the Oxley Hwy. Picture: Nathan Edwards

It was followed by Tarcutta Street in Wagga Wagga Southbound, with 321 fines. There were 293 fines issued on the Hume Highway at Casula heading South.

Transport for NSW has so far failed to release secret modelling cited by Minister Andrew Constance to justify removing warning signs from mobile speed cameras.

The Monash University study, referred to by Mr Constance in November, has not been publicly released.

The Daily Telegraph’s requests to see the study last week were unsuccessful, and previous attempts to obtain the modelling have been knocked back.

Labor’s Roads spokesman John Graham called for the modelling to be released, and for a parliamentary probe into the changes to be brought forward.

“A review should look at the impact of this policy on regional drivers, options for greater driver education, and the research that the Minister has relied on to make these decisions,” he said.

While mobile speed camera fines are soaring, fixed speed cameras – which still have warning signs – are issuing a relatively stable amount of fines. There were 36,737 fixed speed camera fines in March, to a value of $10,951,232. That was less than February and January, both at around 44,000 fines.

The highest number of fines in the past year was in November, when 59,342 fines were issued.

An eastbound camera on the M4 East tunnel at Croydon was the highest earning fixed speed camera in March, issuing 2502 fines – raising $1,050,333.

Port Macquarie man John Dawson was recently fined for going 78km/h in a 70km/h zone on Oxley Highway, before the speed limit on the road increases to 100km/h.

He said if a warning sign was in place he would have checked his speed and slowed down. Mr Dawson accused the state government of using the mobile speed cameras for revenue raising.

“It’s becoming a cash cow, when you look at the money they’re raising from it,” he said.

Originally published as The multimillion-dollar cost of operating mobile speed cameras raking the cash