$1m in traffic fines every day
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By Super Admin
Published on 12/09/2007
$1m in traffic fines every day
Article from: Sunday Herald Sun
May 13, 2007 12:00am
VICTORIA'S speed camera and traffic fine cash cow is reaping more than one million dollars a day for the Bracks Government for the first time.
But less than a third of the money, provided by fixed and mobile speed cameras, is being spent on road safety initiatives, according to official figures.
$1 million in traffic fines every day
Meanwhile, a road safety school that provided life-saving lessons to parents and youngsters from across Melbourne has been axed.
Traffic fine figures reveal the Government expects to reap $376 million this financial year from traffic fines, a $60 million jump on the previous year.
It is also a 61 per cent rise on the total three years ago.
The Government is earning $42,922 an hour, with a motorist booked every 12 seconds.
Despite the bounty, the Government plans to spend only $120 million on new road safety initiatives, according to State Budget papers released this month.
Motoring fine revenue is to continue its upwards spiral in 2007-08, when the Government estimates it will collect $419 million.
Opposition Transport spokesman Terry Mulder said the Government was blatantly using cameras for profit.
He also said fine revenue pledged for road safety was being used to fund road building and maintenance.
But the soaring motoring fine revenue has not been enough to save a 40-year-old program that taught road awareness to children from 150 kindergartens and primary schools.
The move came after the Victoria Police re-assigned Moorabbin Children's Traffic School's instructor Sen-Constable Sue Radchenko to other duties.
Opposition scrutiny of government spokesman Murray Thompson demanded the "disgraceful" decision be reversed.
When the Budget figures were put to the Government yesterday, spokeswoman Fiona MacRae responded: "Since July 2005, all receipts collected from traffic camera and on-the-spot speeding fines have been channelled back into improving Victoria's roads.
"The funds are spent on roads, road safety and road maintenance programs."
The Government and police have repeatedly refused to reveal camera statistics.
Traffic fine figures reveal the Government expects to reap $376 million this financial year from traffic fines, a $60 million jump on the previous year.
It is also a 61 per cent rise on the total three years ago.
The Government is earning $42,922 an hour, with a motorist booked every 12 seconds.
Despite the bounty, the Government plans to spend only $120 million on new road safety initiatives, according to State Budget papers released this month.
Motoring fine revenue is to continue its upwards spiral in 2007-08, when the Government estimates it will collect $419 million.
Opposition Transport spokesman Terry Mulder said the Government was blatantly using cameras for profit.
He also said fine revenue pledged for road safety was being used to fund road building and maintenance.
But the soaring motoring fine revenue has not been enough to save a 40-year-old program that taught road awareness to children from 150 kindergartens and primary schools.
The move came after the Victoria Police re-assigned Moorabbin Children's Traffic School's instructor Sen-Constable Sue Radchenko to other duties.
Opposition scrutiny of government spokesman Murray Thompson demanded the "disgraceful" decision be reversed.
When the Budget figures were put to the Government yesterday, spokeswoman Fiona MacRae responded: "Since July 2005, all receipts collected from traffic camera and on-the-spot speeding fines have been channelled back into improving Victoria's roads.
"The funds are spent on roads, road safety and road maintenance programs."
The Government and police have repeatedly refused to reveal camera statistics.