Eastern Shore Sun

TASMANIA Police needs more Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras as soon as possible  to enable a greater capacity to detect unregistered or stolen vehicles and unlicensed drivers on Tasmania’s roads, according to the RACT.

RACT spokesman Vince Taskunas said that the motorists’ organisation was disappointed to learn Tasmania Police would not receive four ANPR cameras, promised in September last year, until sometime in the second half of 2010, at the earliest.

“It is grossly unfair to motorists that increases in monetary penalties and demerit points for speeding offences have already commenced late last year, but the promised ANPR cameras, that will lead to safer roads for motorists, are being delayed," Mr Taskunas said.

“RACT understood that the Premier’s statement In September last year meant that Tasmania Police would receive one new ANPR camera for each of the four police command districts; a measure we know is strongly supported by police.

“In addition, RACT understood that the package of measures would be funded in this financial year. The announcement says only a further four cameras are to be funded next financial year.”

“The RACT has repeatedly called for this proven technology-based road safety measure to be adopted across Tasmania s road network, including a request for three ANPR cameras per police command district in our budget submission last year," Mr Taskunas said.

“The spotlight must be put firmly on unregistered vehicles and unlicensed drivers on our roads (the two often go together), as they pose significant risks to the rest of the law-abiding road-users, and they persistently recur in Tasmania s serious casualty crash statistics.

“What the government should be doing is immediately quarantining the additional revenues from higher monetary penalties as the Premier promised he would  and buying those ANPR cameras one-by-one.

“Victoria, the only state in Australia that is consistently meeting its national serious casualty targets, already has Sensor Dynamics mobile ANPR equipment deployed on its roads -and the UK started their national roll-out of over 2000 ANPR cameras in 2005," Mr Taskunas said.