Deadline missed for cameras

ALMOST FOUR months after funding problems for the delayed speed camera project were resolved, little or no progress appears to have been made on the delivery of the equipment, to the chagrin of Road Safety Authority (RSA) chairman Gay Byrne.

Despite being scheduled in the Road Safety Strategy for introduction by the end of this month, a recent parliamentary question indicates that talks have still not commenced with the "preferred bidder", months after funding for the cameras was approved.

The Government became concerned at the expected cost late last year. Initial estimates had put costs in the region of €5 million per annum, but these were significantly below the average tender estimates of annual costs closer to €25 million.

The Department of Justice provided an update on the project to Labour Party transport spokesman Tommy Broughan via a parliamentary question and said that "it is expected that contract negotiations with the preferred bidder will commence imminently."

However, Mr Broughan pointed out that this was almost exactly the same statement used by the Department back in February when it announced that the funding logjam, which had apparently delayed the project, had been resolved. In February, the Department said it would contact the preferred bidder with a view to starting contract negotiations immediately. "There doesn't seem to be any reason at this stage as to why the speed camera project hasn't been expedited given that the row over funding has been resolved. There appears to be a lethargy around this area by Government," deputy Broughan said. "I intend to raise the cameras issue with the Taoiseach tomorrow."

Speaking to The Irish Timeslast night, Gay Bryne said he was "angry and frustrated" with the delay and that he hoped "when all this Lisbon business is out of the way someone does something about this". He said it was "outrageous" that road safety equipment promised for years should still be delayed "for what reason I do not know".

The secretary general of the Department of Justice, Seán Aylward told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport earlier this year that the capacity of the proposed network of 6,000 camera hours could generate half a million speed camera penalties a year. He told the committee that the speed cameras were unlikely to be introduced "before the fourth quarter of 2008".