Road pricing campaign news

Title: It can prey on 54 motorists a day and is so savage they call it..
Date: 22/02/2010
URL: www.newsoftheworld.co.uk

Preview: MOTORISTS are under attack from a CCTV car dubbed "The BEAST" - because it stalks the streets snaring unsuspecting drivers by the thousand.

When the traffic offences predator is on the loose it can snare up to 54 motorists a DAY who've parked their cars illegally.

The two-door Smart car might only be a titchy beast, but drivers don't stand a chance escaping when it's on the prowl in Basildon, Essex.

Its lethal weapon is a camera perched on a 15ft telescopic mast which can spot cars parked in the wrong place up to 110 metres away, and even log them just by driving past - picking up the...


vehicle details, exact location and type of rule break.

In Essex the local council has nicknamed the car the "Beast of Basildon" because of its success rate, a document leaked to the News of the World reveals.

The £50,000 vehicle is fitted with GPS and automatic number plate recognition so it can capture car details and issue £60 fines if motorists park in loading bays, clearways, bus stops, taxi ranks and in restricted areas near schools and pedestrian crossings.

It can also film in high quality to enable prosecutions. But drivers don't know they've been booked till the ticket arrives in the post.

CCTV cars are being increasingly used by councils to patrol Britain's streets, replacing traffic wardens as the new hi-tech scourge of drivers.

And unlike wardens they don't get abuse for handing out tickets. The leaked document revealed 1,672 penalty charge notices were issued in the 70 days since The Beast was launched - making an average of 24 a day. The highest doled out in a single day was 54.

The papers also reveal Basildon Council admits motorists have grumbled about "The Beast", but officials are surprised they haven't made more fuss. The document said: "We've had a few complaints but not as many as we were expecting."

Our source said: "Councils talk about these cars targeting known parking trouble spots and how well they've been received by the community.

"But behind closed doors they're bragging about how many people they can catch with these nasty little cars.

"They can't help boasting that it can be used to catch people committing loads of other offences. And bring in more and more cash in hefty fines."

Around 50 councils are thought to be using CCTV cars now, including Westminster Council in London - which hopes to increase its fleet to four - Eastbourne, Medway Council in Kent and Manchester City Council.

Police forces have also joined the trend. Greater Manchester Police uses a CCTV Smart car to target drivers committing motoring offences, such as texting or using handheld mobile phones. The vehicles can also act as mobile CCTV tackling anti-social behaviour.

But parking campaigner Neil Herron fumed: "These vehicles are just another tool to fine as many people as possible and bring in revenue.

"It's unbelievable that a council will call the car 'The Beast' and boast how many people have been fined."

Download the PDF presentation Basildon Council use to promote 'The Beast'