Eastern Freeway's speed camers go haywire

Eastern Freeway's speed camers go haywire

John Ferguson From: Herald Sun September 13, 2010 12:00AM

EXCLUSIVE: SERIOUS faults with the state's most notorious speed cameras are revealed in new documents.
The Herald Sun can reveal EastLink speed cameras took images they weren't supposed to, contained corrupt data and had communication blackouts.

Officials were forced to replace a Wellington Rd camera after it went haywire, shooting images it wasn't supposed to.

The details are contained in embarrassing Brumby government documents detailing when and where cameras were repaired over four months.

The most serious breach was at Wellington Rd in Rowville, where a camera was replaced weeks after problems were first detected.

Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu accused the Government of failing motorists, promising an end to the confusion and uncertainty.

"As premier I would end John Brumby's speed camera cover-up and be open and honest with Victorians about defective speed cameras," he told the Herald Sun.

The revelations will provide further fuel for motorists who claim they have been wrongly booked on EastLink.

But the Government hit back, saying that no wrong fines were issued and the cameras were subject to stringent testing.

"It is because of these high standards that such extensive and consistent maintenance and testing is conducted across the network," a Department of Justice spokesman said.

The State Opposition took about a year to retrieve the documents under Freedom of Information. They show the maintenance logs for EastLink cameras for the four months to June last year.

The logs of 16 incidents - about one a week - show:

A WELLINGTON Rd camera in lane 3 was taking images "without targets in beam".

CORRUPT test data was found, affecting two lanes throughout EastLink.

A COMMUNICATION failure was detected in the Melba Tunnel at Donvale, affecting lane 2.

AN INVESTIGATION by software experts was called into missing log alarms.

THERE were complete losses of communications.

THE speed camera system locked up completely in the Mullum Mullum Tunnel.

The documents are significant because they contradict government and police claims in 2009 that the cameras were working perfectly. Despite this, police continue to defend the EastLink cameras, including the Wellington Rd site.

A police spokeswoman said: "Victoria Police has been assured by the Department of Justice that the speed cameras along Wellington Rd are operating as they should be.

"Victoria Police continues to have the utmost confidence in the integrity of the traffic camera system and believes there are robust processes in place to ensure ongoing accuracy."

ConnectEast spokesman James Tonkin said the company supported efforts to promote safety but that speed cameras were operated by police and the Government.

Figures released by police in February showed speeding motorists were fined at a rate of 450 a day on EastLink.

Between September 2008 and January 31, drivers were hit with 237,308 fines from the tollway's fixed speed cameras. That added about $30 million to government coffers.

Faulty camera could have been costly

MICHELE Flynn was snapped by the camera near Wellington Rd, was sent a fine and paid it.

"I was happy to pay one, then a flood of them came in," Ms Flynn said.

One after the other arrived last year, six over five weeks, which surprised Ms Flynn, who had previously been fined only once.

"I was getting close to $900 in fines," Ms Flynn said yesterday.

"I was about one or two kilometres an hour over the limit. It was really minor.

"But I wasn't going to lose my licence to something like that. I was thinking there was some sort of conspiracy against my car.

"You feel paranoid every time you go under there, even though you slow down."

Ms Flynn said the cameras would have a big impact on innocent motorists unable to pay.

"People have utility bills to pay, and rent. It has got to have an impact," she said.

Ms Flynn searched on the internet and found out how to apply for a police waiver.

She said the details were hidden away on the police website. "It was a real big search to find this information," Ms Flynn said.

'I know they're faulty'

DAVE Blomley is a librarian who drives a large four-wheel drive and claims that even when he has been at work he gets pinged.

Mr Blomley believes it is the bulk of the 4WD that attracts the attention of the Wellington Rd speed cameras.

He says he approaches the cameras with his speed set at 95km/h - well below the speed limit.

"I know I go through there at 95km/h," he said.

"But I still get picked up by them. I know (they are) faulty."

His most recent fine was in the past two months when he said he was still at work.

"I was still at Frankston," he said.

Mr Blomley has been "caught" three times and has, in the past, successfully challenged tickets.

But the latest infringement for barely being above the speed limit will stick.

"It's always in the 2km/h (above the limit) area," Mr Blomley claims.

"I still get picked up by them and I know the things are there."