By Ron Coates, 26 March 2004 16:21
NEWS If you live in Wiltshire and break the speed limit, you'll be able to go online and see yourself caught in the act, starting in May.
Compuware is building a portal for the Wiltshire and Swindon Safety Camera Partnership (WSSCP) so that speeders can view the evidence and the site will also produce the grim accident statistics that will show why the camera is where it is.
David Frampton, manager for the safety camera unit, said: "We want to be as transparent as we can. There is a lot of bad feeling about speed cameras and we also want to show why they are where they are that it isn't about raising revenue.
"And, under the Freedom of Information Act, we will have to provide people with much more information, starting next year."
When speeders receive their Notice of Intended Prosecution, they will be given a URL and a series of codes to enable them to access the pictures of their offence.
"We wanted to make sure that no one can get in that shouldn't. Only the customer will be able to see the picture. We've built in a lot of fail-safes to keep the data secure. This is the first time that the police have made information available outside their own net," said Frampton.
He explained that it had taken "quite a long time" to get all the agreements to use the various databases required for the system. "We had to make sure that we're not infringing anyone's rights," he said.
Frampton expects the system to pay for itself. Currently his office deals with 4,000 to 5,000 people a month - writing to each an average of two-and-a-half times. He also said that the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act requirements will mean that he will need an "inordinately large office" to cope with the information demands.
He also plans to start posting details of roadworks and other traffic disruptions on the site so that it can be used, in a sense, as a journey planner.
Frampton added that he hopes that the site will reduce speeding and accidents and therefore not be used much.
Comments
There are 7 comments. Join the discussion
1. angus
I am sure that all the council tax payers will be so happy with this obvious waste of resources and investment.
2. Martin
We all know that speed cameras are not about safety, they are about extra tax revenue for the government!
I don't know about Wiltshire, but most of the cameras in the rest of the country are placed in the wrong locations eg. on motorways or dual carriageways in 70/60 MPH zones. Instead of outside schools or dangerous stretched of road!
So I don't see how they will be able to show why the cameras are in the right place on this website at all!!!!
3. anonymous
Since when has a person caught speeding and fined been a "CUSTOMER" !!!
4. anonymous
snip.....no one can get in that shouldn't. Only the customer will ..../snip
Did he say *CUSTOMER* nice use of words to describe a lawbreaker/victim! If you don't like the fine, can you shop around for a better deal elsewhere?
5. anonymous
Angus' car has obviously never been "cloned"... Mine was, and I had to go thru the hassle of getting a photo to prove it, after getting a speeding ticket. this cost me even though the photo showed clearly it wasn't my car... Anytthing which helps some one falsely accused is a good idea.
6. anonymous
No sympathy for claims they speed on empty roads harming no-one. Where are these empty roads?
If you can't pay the fine don't do the time on the road, go to a track. Last week one tailgates, swerves and undertakes well >70mph in traffic - he might feel safe, no-one else did If there was an accidents he'd blame other drivers I expect - so when can we see photos of drivers tailgating etc to stop this lie about poor wee victims with few rights.
7. anonymous
So the're not increasing the placing of mobile speed cameras as a way of rasing money! So that's why our local council factors into their budget the money from these cameras!
Pull the other one, they are a new TAX on the motorist. We have these cameras in places where there have never been any accidents. But they park the camera cars on the side of the road just out of sight on corner, where they will catch anyone speeding.
They have to raise money to pay their wages, so they will use any method they can to catch people speeding, even on roads where there have been no accidents.
It's a MONEY RAISING SCAM, and no I have not been caught speeding by one of these money making cons.
The representatives all trot out the same waffle, "We are saving peoples lives" etc. But they are in fact only there to make money.
Now convince me that this is not true when I see them skulking around the highways and byeways everyday.