Government seeks speedy action on traffic cameras

The government has amended plans to use the BOT system for the introduction of speed cameras as it seeks to speed up their introduction, Phileleftheros reported on Wednesday. It said that it will be designated as a public project with provision made in the 2019 budget. A private investor will finance and manage the system, deliver and collect the fines, but the money will go to public funds it added.

The government will pay the investor a specific sum every year so that in seven years the cameras will belong to the state,  while management of the system will remain in the hands of investor.

According to the newspaper, the first cameras should be on the streets before the end of 2019, starting with a pilot programme.  It should be fully operational within two years of the launch of the programme.

Overall,  110 cameras will be installed of which 20 will be mobile for use in areas that see frequent accidents or on police vehicles.

The Traffic Department also wants drivers photographed by the cameras breaking the speed limit or running a red light to be checked whether they are wearing a seat belt or talking on a mobile phone.

The paper notes that a decision to skip viability studies has cut the process by six months. Police have been pressing for the cameras, saying that their use in the period 2006-07 had led to a 52% drop in accidents.

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