Eastern Distributor speed camera snares $3.5 million in one year

A SINGLE fixed speed camera in Sydney has issued a whopping $3.5 million in fines over the past 12 months. SEE THE LIST.

A single fixed speed camera in Sydney has earned the NSW Government a whopping $3.5 million over the last 12 months / Picture: Richard Dobson

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A SINGLE fixed speed camera in Sydney has issued a whopping $3.5 million in fines over the past 12 months.

Almost 16,000 infringement notices were issued to speeding motorists on the Eastern Distributor in 2015/2016, making it the highest-earning fixed camera in the state.

Coming a close second was $3.35 million in fines for speeders captured on the Great Western Highway at Mount Victoria — one of only two cameras outside Sydney on the list of top 10 earners.

In total, the state government reaped $177.62 million from motorists speeding or running red lights in the past year, with more than 655,000 fines issued at an average cost of $271 per ticket.

All traffic fine revenue was used for road safety initiatives such as flashing lights in school zones, high visibility policing, education and road safety engineering work.

NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said most disturbing was the number of speeding offences­ in tunnels. “This is alarming, given added dangers such as fire or poisonous fumes that can occur from high-speed crashes in tunnels,” Mr Khoury said.

Roads Minister Duncan Gay said revenue from speed and red light cameras was about saving lives, not taking people’s money: “I can invest billions into making our road network safer and continue to deliver road safety programs but I cannot control people from making bad choices.”

The Lane Cove tunnel speed camera ranks third, with $3.18 million in fines in one year.

Deputy Opposition Leader Michael Daley said the government had become reliant on camera revenue because it had cut the road safety budget.

“Clearly it’s not working as the road toll is rising,” he said. “Mike Baird is quite happy to sit back and enjoy the money as it rolls in ... but our roads aren’t getting any safer.”

A recent federal government report showed NSW was the only state where the road toll was still climbing significantly.

But Mr Gay said that “death and injury has decreased by up to 90 per cent at speed camera locations and more than 99 per cent of people who pass a speed camera don’t get fined”.

All traffic fine revenue was used for road safety initiatives such as flashing lights in school zones, high visibility policing, education and road safety engineering work, Mr Gay said.

TOP SPEED CAMERAS

Eastern Distributor, Darlinghurst: $3.46m

Great Western Hwy, Mt Victoria: $3.35m

Lane Cove Tunnel: $3.18m

Falcon St, Neutral Bay: $2.77m*

Cross City Tunnel: $2.51m

Epping Rd, Lane Cove: $2.43m*

Woodville Rd, Granville: $2.41m*

Stacey St, Bankstown: $2.38m*

Botany Rd, Rosebery: $2.06m

Hinterland Way, Ewingsdale: $1.99m

*Includes red light offences

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