Monday 26 October 2009

Posties - don't rush back!

It's not all bad news with post strike. If you've been flashed and are expecting a summons then if lands 14 days after the 'offence' the paperwork is null and void.

This is from today's Sun:

Speeding fines hit by strike
TENS of thousands of motorists will dodge speed camera fines because of the mail strikes.
Drivers cannot be convicted unless they receive notification of their offence within two weeks.
And the postal workers' stoppages last week mean about 20,000 notices of intended prosecution a day have got stuck in the backlog and will not be delivered on time.
Thousands more will be buried in the mail mountain if this week's three-day strike goes ahead on Thursday.
Motorists using the legal loophole will escape a £60 fine and three points on their licence for speeding or jumping a red light.
A driver who already has nine points will dodge a six-month ban.
The authorities rake in about £6million a week from 100,000 speeding and other traffic fines.
The delayed notices could lose them about £1.2million a day.
Road traffic lawyer Chris Sweetman said: "If a notice arrives more than 14 days after the alleged offence the driver cannot be prosecuted because it would be 'out of time' in a court."
Anti-speed camera campaigner Captain Gatso said: "This may be the only silver lining to the postal strike."
Royal Mail chief Adam Crozier yesterday said he hoped union chiefs making "nonsense" claims would "shut up" and "common sense" would prevail when they meet bosses for fresh talks today.
Up to 120,000 workers are set to strike again from Thursday.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2698934/Speeding-fines-hit-by-postal-strike.html#ixzz0V3K0YYQW

Tuesday 6 October 2009

Speed cameras to go - Tory promise

At long last! People are starting to listen to the arguments I have been making for years now.

I'm not just a lone voice. The Tories at the conference have said they will get rid of cameras (for the full SP read the Reuters story below).

I've done SKY News and lots of radio on this fantastic decision.

In a nutshell - for all you disbelievers out there - speed cameras are about raising cash NOT about road safety.

FACT: According to the Government's own figures, less than 5% of accidents are down to speed

FACT: Most accidents take place at a junction within a mile of your home.

The secret data will put an end to the camera partnerships lies once and for all.

Now let's vote Conservatives and get these lying, double crossing, war mongering, inept tossers who have bankrupted the country out of office!

Captain Gatso
The Motorists Friend


How Reuters told the world:

The Conservatives declared war on the rapid spread of speed cameras on Tuesday, saying there were better ways to keep the roads safe.

"It's time to put a stop to Labour's cash cow camera culture," Conservative transport spokeswoman Theresa Villiers told the party's annual conference.

"Electing a Conservative government would signal the end of the relentless expansion of fixed speed cameras. It's time to say 'enough is enough'," she said.

Fixed speed cameras on British roads had almost trebled during Labour's 12 years in power, but the fines they generated blinded Labour to the merits of better ways of keeping the roads safe, such as education, vehicle-activated signs or traffic police, she said.

Predicting that fixed speed cameras had reached their "high watermark" in the country, she said a Conservative government would not fund any new fixed speed cameras.

"If local authorities want new cameras they'll have to prove nothing else works better and they'll have to find the money themselves," Villiers said.

She said the Conservatives would publish information, now secret, on each speed camera's record on safety and on fines, so local communities could judge whether a camera should stay or go.