Victorian speed camera bungle
From Herald Sun
By Ellen Whinnett
August 25, 2005
Victoria Police
will be forced to withdraw hundreds of fines after an embarrassing
speed camera bungle.
Hundreds of drivers
were booked for speeding on the Hume Highway when an operator programmed
the wrong speed into the camera.
Most were actually
travelling under the speed limit.
The bungle got
through private operator Tenix's checking system, and infringement
notices were issued by police last week.
Now, the company
and police will be required to issue withdrawal notices to the hundreds
of drivers who were booked despite committing no offence.
Drivers travelling
on the Hume Highway at Somerset on July 21 were sent infringement
notices this week for exceeding 80km/h, when the lawful speed was
90km/h.
Craigieburn resident
Frank Torzillo, 49, was booked for travelling at 88km/h.
Convinced he wasn't
speeding, Mr Torzillo went to the Traffic Camera Office and obtained
the photograph of the alleged incident.
He then contacted
outspoken former speed camera operator Graeme Marr for help.
They drove along
the Hume Highway until they found the location, between Stanley Drive
and Pataullos Lane, based on background images in the photograph.
It was in a clearly-marked
90km/h zone, not an 80km/h zone, as the infringement notice had stated.
Mr Marr said he
agreed to help Mr Torzillo because he wanted to highlight problems
with the speed camera system.
"I have always
stated - from the day of my resignation on August 20, 2004 - about
incorrect set-ups, operators forced to use faulty cameras, and other
incorrect happenings that would cause motorists to be incorrectly
issued with infringement notices," Mr Marr said.
"Mr Torzillo's
saga adds to my claims that supervision is sparse, and (that) operators
who have no feelings for motorists will set up the speed cameras to
raise revenue," he said.
Mr Torzillo said
he knew he had not been speeding because he travelled the Hume Highway
every day for work, and was always careful to watch his speed.
"My main
concern now is the other poor drivers caught on that day," he
said.
"They could
be looking at 200-300 cars - it was peak hour," he said.
"Basically,
I've been booked for travelling at 88km/h in a 90km/h zone.
"This shouldn't
happen. They (the camera operators) should be better trained.
"They should
have realised it was a 90km/h zone," he said.
Opposition transport
spokesman Terry Mulder said that Police Minister Tim Holding ought
to come clean on how many motorists had been incorrectly booked.
"Has anyone
lost their licence due to this operator's failure to set their camera
to the correct speed zone?" Mr Mulder asked.
"More importantly,
how can Tim Holding stop it happening again?"
No comment could
be obtained from Victoria Police yesterday.
