Tony Ryall National Police Spokesman

13 August 2003

Traffic plan more revenue collecting

The National Party says the Government latest plan to tackle the road toll is more about revenue collecting than road safety.

The traffic plan, due to be released at the end of the year, is tipping the return of covert speed cameras and speeding drivers being given double demerit points if caught on camera.

"The Government is budgeting for a 30%-plus increase in the number of speeding tickets issued by the police this year," says National Police spokesman Tony Ryall.

"This is obviously more about filling the coffers than cutting the road toll.

"New Zealand drivers can see right through this so-called 'get tough' plan. They're increasingly sceptical of the Government's motivation behind it.

"It's already known that the hidden speed camera trial in the Waikato-Bay of Plenty was stopped because the Government said it did not cut speeding or road deaths.

"Road safety rates have improved because of a range of factors including better road construction, safer cars and traffic congestion, not because of draconian rules that make criminals out of people who are not," says Mr Ryall.

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