Smile, You’re On Camera

A COUNCIL in east London has rolled out the first unattended CCTV enforcement system for moving traffic offences, in a bid to curb drivers from making illegal turns or stopping in yellow-box junctions.

Redbridge council has placed cameras at four trouble spots, which can also catch drivers ignoring restricted access signs.

Redbridge council's environment, transportation and crime committee head, Shoaib Patel, said: "The system was installed to counter the high number of drivers that were ignoring the traffic restrictions that were in place, causing severe safety hazards to pedestrians and other drivers.

"The system is working well and we have captured a number of vehicles committing serious traffic contraventions, which is promising."

However, motoring groups have worries about the new system.

AA president Edmund King said: "We are concerned that this automated system is more about harvesting motorists for money and profit than deterring bad driver behaviour.

"There needs to be the safeguard that, if this system starts fining drivers on an industrial scale, an analysis of the problem junctions takes place. The ticket haul may be partly down to the road layout.

"There is also the added concern that, if signing is inadequate, local drivers may learn to be wary but outsiders may be caught time after time for mistakes, minor infringements or circumstances outside their control, such as making way for emergency vehicles."

By Press Association reporters