Captain Gatso vandalise speed cams
Discussion
From This is London
www.thisislondon.co.uk/dynamic/news/top_story.html?in_review_id=675844&in_review_text_id=647841
Speed cameras in London are being attacked in a systematic campaign launched by a group of militant motorists.
The protesters have knocked out 30 Gatso cameras by spraypainting them on a 27-mile stretch of the North Circular - and have told the Evening Standard they are stepping up attacks in a blitz organised over the internet.
Police today condemned the campaign as "highly irresponsible" and said the attacks are being treated as criminal damage.
However, the protesters, calling themselves Motorists Against Detection (Mad), are warning this is just the start of a Londonwide-campaign.
In a written statement sent to the Standard they said: "We represent an unheard band of motorists and bikers fed up with this continuing proliferation of speed cameras, bus lane, parking and congestion cameras.
"We are sick and tired of driving to our speedometers and braking in the vicinity of a speed camera as opposed to driving and braking to what we can see."
The statement added the group is "fed up with lining the pockets of police forces and councils as a stealth- tax revenue- raising scheme". Mad also insisted the group is "not criminals, just drivers going about our daily business and we are essentially law-abiding citizens".
Mad said it backed the use of cameras in built-up areas where they protected vulnerable road users but opposed the use of cameras on motorways and trunk roads.
"They are unnecessary and achieve very little in bringing down numbers of casualties on the UK's roads," claimed the statement.
The statement was signed: "Captain Gatso - the Motorist's Friend".
Today the attacks were condemned by the London Safety Camera Partnership ( LSCP) which branded the actions sheer vandalism. It said the cameras had been repaired and that police took the attacks "extremely seriously".
The LSCP said the damage was spotted during routine maintenance within 24 hours of this week's attacks and that few speeding motorists would have escaped detection in the meantime.
A spokesman said: "In three years 112 people have been killed and seriously injured in the vicinity of the cameras that were vandalised. There were 800 injuries in total in areas near the cameras.
"This is why we put such importance on getting them back into operation; they are there to save lives." The spokesman also said most motorists now backed the use of speed cameras.
It is not the first time cameras have been attacked in the UK. Some - including a number on the A316 in south-west London - have been spray-painted while others have been knocked or sawn down.
The London action has echoes of attacks carried out by another action group known as Motorists Against Speed Camera Extortion which has attacked cameras in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on the M5 near Exeter.
Under the Government's "cash for cameras" scheme it is expected that every corner of Britain will have at least one speed camera within the next year, with fines set to treble to three million a year. Some of the revenue is then ploughed back into providing more cameras.
Motoring groups claim ministers use the cameras as revenue raisers and as a cheap alternative to proper police traffic patrols using trained officers.
Kevin Delaney of the RAC Foundation said: "We cannot condone this but it exposes a mis- match between what officials say the cameras are for and what many motorists believe they are for.
"Many see cameras as revenue-raisers and a sign of officialdom clamping down on them."
Dozens of Gatso cameras have also been destroyed in Belgium and in Holland - where the device was first pioneered.
www.thisislondon.co.uk/dynamic/news/top_story.html?in_review_id=675844&in_review_text_id=647841
Speed cameras in London are being attacked in a systematic campaign launched by a group of militant motorists.
The protesters have knocked out 30 Gatso cameras by spraypainting them on a 27-mile stretch of the North Circular - and have told the Evening Standard they are stepping up attacks in a blitz organised over the internet.
Police today condemned the campaign as "highly irresponsible" and said the attacks are being treated as criminal damage.
However, the protesters, calling themselves Motorists Against Detection (Mad), are warning this is just the start of a Londonwide-campaign.
In a written statement sent to the Standard they said: "We represent an unheard band of motorists and bikers fed up with this continuing proliferation of speed cameras, bus lane, parking and congestion cameras.
"We are sick and tired of driving to our speedometers and braking in the vicinity of a speed camera as opposed to driving and braking to what we can see."
The statement added the group is "fed up with lining the pockets of police forces and councils as a stealth- tax revenue- raising scheme". Mad also insisted the group is "not criminals, just drivers going about our daily business and we are essentially law-abiding citizens".
Mad said it backed the use of cameras in built-up areas where they protected vulnerable road users but opposed the use of cameras on motorways and trunk roads.
"They are unnecessary and achieve very little in bringing down numbers of casualties on the UK's roads," claimed the statement.
The statement was signed: "Captain Gatso - the Motorist's Friend".
Today the attacks were condemned by the London Safety Camera Partnership ( LSCP) which branded the actions sheer vandalism. It said the cameras had been repaired and that police took the attacks "extremely seriously".
The LSCP said the damage was spotted during routine maintenance within 24 hours of this week's attacks and that few speeding motorists would have escaped detection in the meantime.
A spokesman said: "In three years 112 people have been killed and seriously injured in the vicinity of the cameras that were vandalised. There were 800 injuries in total in areas near the cameras.
"This is why we put such importance on getting them back into operation; they are there to save lives." The spokesman also said most motorists now backed the use of speed cameras.
It is not the first time cameras have been attacked in the UK. Some - including a number on the A316 in south-west London - have been spray-painted while others have been knocked or sawn down.
The London action has echoes of attacks carried out by another action group known as Motorists Against Speed Camera Extortion which has attacked cameras in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on the M5 near Exeter.
Under the Government's "cash for cameras" scheme it is expected that every corner of Britain will have at least one speed camera within the next year, with fines set to treble to three million a year. Some of the revenue is then ploughed back into providing more cameras.
Motoring groups claim ministers use the cameras as revenue raisers and as a cheap alternative to proper police traffic patrols using trained officers.
Kevin Delaney of the RAC Foundation said: "We cannot condone this but it exposes a mis- match between what officials say the cameras are for and what many motorists believe they are for.
"Many see cameras as revenue-raisers and a sign of officialdom clamping down on them."
Dozens of Gatso cameras have also been destroyed in Belgium and in Holland - where the device was first pioneered.
quote:
I know there is a lot of frustration about speed cameras but sort of action will not get them removed..
You're right it wont directly, but... At the moment the relevant officials believe they have the backing of 'most' motorists, where it wouldn't suprise me if they only had the support of the vocal winging pinkos'. This sort of action is likely to unveil the fact that most motorists can't stand the sight of the bloody things, but are worried about being branded a child molester(sp) (see ABD 'On the Road' for quote) so keep their mouth shut.
Here's a fantastic quote from Walter Bagehot, 19th. century writer and economist, on the history of personal freedom and intrusive government:
“Our freedom is the result of centuries of resistance, more or less legal, more or less illegal, more or less audacious, or more or less timid, to the executive government. We have accordingly, inherited the traditions of conflict, and preserve them in the fullness of victory. We took on State action, not as our own action, but as alien action; as an imposed tyranny from without, not as a consummated result of our own organized wishes”.
It may sound fancy, but it is more relevant to the current government, than at any time for about 150 years - even Mrs. Thatcher had a moral consistency and a vision to her governance, which is totally laccking with Blair and his cronies. More power to the spray can!!
“Our freedom is the result of centuries of resistance, more or less legal, more or less illegal, more or less audacious, or more or less timid, to the executive government. We have accordingly, inherited the traditions of conflict, and preserve them in the fullness of victory. We took on State action, not as our own action, but as alien action; as an imposed tyranny from without, not as a consummated result of our own organized wishes”.
It may sound fancy, but it is more relevant to the current government, than at any time for about 150 years - even Mrs. Thatcher had a moral consistency and a vision to her governance, which is totally laccking with Blair and his cronies. More power to the spray can!!
I'm happy to have speed cameras where there's an accident problem, but its better to spend the money on improving the highway instead IMHO. This country networks is not modern enough anymore (like Rail network IMHO). Speed cameras are not the answer. I also think there's too many cars about. If we got rid of the school run this would reduce about 30% of the morning rush at a stroke.
More power to them, at last an organised protest against revenue cameras. Lets hope it spreads nation wide.
Even heard them complaining about stealth tax cameras on radio 2 yesterday, citing 2 anti-camera reports in one week. One yesterday from a study which showed that they actually cause an increase in accidents, and the earlier one showing that they were situated on safe roads rather than accident blackspots.
Anyone with half a brain can see the connection between the two of course. On a safe stretch of road with an artificially low speed limit enforced by camera the only reason to slow is the camera itself, and the camera them becomes an obstruction to normal flow, the inevitable consequence of which is accidents. Why is this difficult to understand?
Anyway, this campaign raises the anti camera profile into public conciousness, which has to be a good thing. No opposition is taken as acceptance (hey, so VOTE next time will ya!).
Even heard them complaining about stealth tax cameras on radio 2 yesterday, citing 2 anti-camera reports in one week. One yesterday from a study which showed that they actually cause an increase in accidents, and the earlier one showing that they were situated on safe roads rather than accident blackspots.
Anyone with half a brain can see the connection between the two of course. On a safe stretch of road with an artificially low speed limit enforced by camera the only reason to slow is the camera itself, and the camera them becomes an obstruction to normal flow, the inevitable consequence of which is accidents. Why is this difficult to understand?
Anyway, this campaign raises the anti camera profile into public conciousness, which has to be a good thing. No opposition is taken as acceptance (hey, so VOTE next time will ya!).
The report was comissioned by AutoCar magazine and I think everyone should go out and buy a copy of this week's issue as a show of support for them!
The BBC have reported on it at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2206467.stm
Obviously the Department of Transport has pooh-poohed the report. Obviously.
>> Edited by JonRB on Saturday 24th August 08:46
The BBC have reported on it at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2206467.stm
Obviously the Department of Transport has pooh-poohed the report. Obviously.
>> Edited by JonRB on Saturday 24th August 08:46
quote:
I'm happy to have speed cameras where there's an accident problem, but its better to spend the money on improving the highway instead IMHO. This country networks is not modern enough anymore (like Rail network IMHO). Speed cameras are not the answer. I also think there's too many cars about. If we got rid of the school run this would reduce about 30% of the morning rush at a stroke.
Let me make a wild guess - you don't do the school run. So you want to get 'other' people off the road to 'your' benefit. Wonderful.
The roads are busy, live with it. Fight to get more roads built, less Gatsos, less traffic blocking, congestion causing schemes. But don't factionalise the issue by blaming 'other' groups of people for occupying 'your' road space.
maybe the problem is just that though, I bet a lot of people who do the school run would prefer a bus to pick the kids up like Bart and Liza, there must be better ways to do this and there must be heaps of people on the road who don't want to be there, hence the numptyism (not for one minute suggesting people who do the school run are numpties) If we find better methods to cater for people who don't want to make that trip to Tescoe's or take the sproggs to school we will start to improve things....IMO of course
quote:
quote:
I'm happy to have speed cameras where there's an accident problem, but its better to spend the money on improving the highway instead IMHO. This country networks is not modern enough anymore (like Rail network IMHO). Speed cameras are not the answer. I also think there's too many cars about. If we got rid of the school run this would reduce about 30% of the morning rush at a stroke.
Let me make a wild guess - you don't do the school run. So you want to get 'other' people off the road to 'your' benefit. Wonderful.
The roads are busy, live with it. Fight to get more roads built, less Gatsos, less traffic blocking, congestion causing schemes. But don't factionalise the issue by blaming 'other' groups of people for occupying 'your' road space.
Top post Niel This whole anti school run crap is beyond belief. The state of the nation is such that kids are vulnerable to attack so the school run stays. As for the walking bus advert why don't they give it a bit of realism and film it in the pissing rain?
just been done 36 in a 30 in my old runabout will probarly scrap car and say i sold it will make a mental note for one dark wet night to stick a coal pick in its evil lens why should i give money to asylum seekers f**k em we have all had enough.
As u can gather i am pretty peed off wheres the fun in motoring gone
As u can gather i am pretty peed off wheres the fun in motoring gone
nonegreen
Despite the horrific recent case, kids aren't any more vulnerable now than they've ever been. In the UK, only six children have been abducted by strangers since 1970, for instance. I only mention this in an attempt to get this into perspective -- I don't want to hi-jack this thread and go off at a tangent.
Despite the horrific recent case, kids aren't any more vulnerable now than they've ever been. In the UK, only six children have been abducted by strangers since 1970, for instance. I only mention this in an attempt to get this into perspective -- I don't want to hi-jack this thread and go off at a tangent.
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