Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery has labelled speed cameras stinging drivers along Thomas Street, Wallsend as well as Griffiths and Newcastle Roads, Lambton as "cash cows" for the state government.
According to new data revealed to Fairfax under freedom of information, close to $1.2 million worth of speeding fines have been issued along the stretch, since a speed reduction came into force in March.
The limit was changed from 70km/h to 60km/h.
In the period from April to September 2018, 6193 fines were issued, representing a 544% increase on the same period in 2017. Revenue is also up by 469%.
It's causing Sonia Hornery to renew her push for crash data, with the RMS citing safety concerns as the reason for the speed reduction. After months asking Roads Minister Melinda Pavey to release crash statistics, the MP is not convinced the speed reduction is justified.
"They [the RMS] told me the reason they made that reduction is because the crash statistics are too high. And so I said to them, 'tell me at what speed people are crashing so then I'm convinced that speed limit reduction should have occurred,'" Ms Hornery said.
"In just six months the government's raked in $1.18 million in speeding fines," she continued, "that's a lot of money our commuters are being slugged. If you're travelling on Lake Road [Glendale] you know you're able to do 70km/h quite safely so it doesn't make sense to me, and it doesn't make sense to our frustrated commuters."
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| Griffiths Rd, Lambton. |
