Traffic cameras to target motorists’ speeding, breaking red lights & using bus lanes – Ó Muirí

Traffic cameras will soon be deployed to catch motorists speeding, breaking red lights and unlawfully using bus lanes in the capital, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí received confirmation from the Department of Transport that the first National Safety Camera Strategy will be completed early this year.

The Government is working with road safety stakeholders, the NTA, TII, RSA and An Garda Síochána, on how best to implement the strategy. The strategy will, focus on speeding, red light running, and bus lane infringements, with flexibility for the enforcement of other types of offence in future.

The Dublin Bay North TD said this is a positive step, but traffic cameras, to enforce road safety, have been too long in the pipeline.

“Red light running has become a shockingly common feature of driving in Ireland. Most road users will have seen multiple examples in a single week, putting themselves and others in danger.

“A Prime Time investigation broadcast last year recorded more than 60 red light violations in just eight hours at a small number of junctions in Dublin and Galway. This is a worrying trend that is putting lives at risk.

“Anyone stuck in traffic on a bus or car in rush hour can testify to the amount of motorists wrongly using bus lanes. The rules of the road must be upheld and obeyed.

“The delays we have seen in the rollout of these cameras is disappointing and road safety is suffering as a result. The increased deployment of safety cameras is a key action to be delivered as part of the all-of-Government Road Safety Strategy, but as road deaths have risen to the highest level in over a decade, there is a clear and urgent need for the installation of cameras to be prioritised and acerated.

“Every time a driver ignores a red light, not only are they putting themselves in harm’s way, but they are also a danger to pedestrians, cyclists and other road users around them.

“It is important that we do not lose any more time. The National Transport Authority (NTA) must move quickly to develop and deploy cameras in urban and rural locations across the country, with a clear objective to address speeding, red light running, and bus lane infringements.

“We’ve seen how successful these cameras are across Europe, and they have been used in the UK and Germany for decades.

“Reducing deaths and serious injuries on our roads is a core priority for Fine Gael. Cracking down on red light violations is a necessary and overdue step in achieving this goal”, concluded Deputy Ó Muirí.