M6 - speed camera chaos

It was interesting to read that thousands of drivers have been caught out by the speed cameras in the roadworks on the M6 near Carlisle.

I drove through those roadworks last week and was amazed. There is no apparent reason for so many drivers to be fined.

However, I was concerned to see how they had erected the actual speed signs.

I was under the impression that speed signs had to come in pairs - one on each side of the carriageway. In these roadworks there's often just the one.

Can someone confirm this is true? (I'm about to contact an expert who will be able to tell me).

If so, it looks like thousands of motorists will have their fines repaid. Maybe.

1 in 1,800 speeding cops get speeding tickets

You don't really need me to comment on the story in today's Sun: Gatso let-off for speeding cops.
I've made plain on this blog several times that one of the best ways to avoid a speeding ticket is to wear a uniform.
No surprise that *all* of the investigated cases were of police on emergency calls. Nice work!
It would be nice to find out just how many OFF DUTY police officers are let off.
Now that really would be a story.

Capt Gatso
The Motorists Friend

Britain's roads: worse than a third world country

If you need proof that Gordon Brown has bankrupted the country - then look no further than the roads we drive on.

We pay a fortune in road tax, an extortionate amount in fuel taxes and yet we still have roads to embarrass a banana republic.

It might cost £10billion to put right. I might be imagining it but Gordon's about to put up taxes to pay for it.....

Captain Gatso
The Motorists' Friend

The Daily Mail
Britain's road network in £10billion pothole pit as winter ravages roads

Roads are in need of billions of pounds of repairs after two cold winters which have left them pitted with with thousands of potholes, experts warned yesterday.

The number of holes in the nation's roads is estimated to have leapt by 60 per cent after the two icy winters and the cost of fixing them all is put at around £10billion.

There are now thought be at least 1.6million in England and Wales, making life a misery for motorists and cyclists.

Read more

London councils' three-decade parking error revealed

Well done to the campaigners who have managed to have a great success on parking bays.
[Read more: Five London councils may have to repay millions of pounds of parking fines to motorists after a BBC London investigation proved hundreds of their parking bays have been unlawfully operated for decades. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8490074.stm]
As Neil Herron says: "Fairness and justice is a two-way street and councils now have a duty to refund those fined unlawfully."
Here at MAD we agree with that sentiment. However, we believe that all councils will try to aviod paying out saying it's too drastic to refund everyone.
Plus they can't afford to.
Well tough luck. You effectively stole the money from innocent people and should pay them back the fine plus interest.
Hopefully the legal fightback by the put-upon motorist in this country is now beginning.
It's especially interesting that the authorities hide behind laws they haven't implemented properly to persecute motorists and they will try to hide behind them to continue this war.
Pay up and shut up!

Captain Gatso
The Motorists Friend