03/08/2004

Tories pledge to scrap 'money maker' speed cameras

The Tories have pledged to "end the war on Britain's motorists", and audit all speed cameras and speed limits in an effort to "get the government off the back of the sensible driver" and concentrate on criminals.

Shadow Transport Secretary Damian Green said today that the government had been "waging a war on drivers", and many speed cameras had been set up purely as a method for "extorting money from already over taxed motorists".

The Tory frontbench MP was unveiling a package of measures which, he said, were designed to "scrap money maker instead of lifesaver" roadside speed cameras, and oversee the introduction of "realistic" speed limits.

However, the Tories stopped short of advocating a total ban on speed cameras as they are "justified if sited in genuine accident black spots and if they save lives".

A Conservative administration would also clamp down hard on uninsured drivers and tackle anti-social behaviour, Mr Green said.

"We want to make driving less of a misery. What we are proposing is a series of common sense practical measures which will get the government off the back of the sensible driver and restore confidence in the way we enforce the speed limit," he said.

Mr Green added: "Conservatives want to end the war on the motorists. We are on the side of the responsible driver."

(gmcg)

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