A car club with a mission

[Christopher]

From my compatriots in Malta:

VINTAGE TOYOTA CLUB, Malta GC

CAMPAIGN AGAINST ILLEGAL SPEED CAMERAS: PRESS RELEASE



To Whom It May Concern:



On behalf of the members of the clubs listed hereunder, we would like to express our dismay at the recent profusion of speed cameras in our major arteries. Not that we are against discipline in that aspect. Far from it. Our members are in the vast majority mature, responsible drivers with several years and even decades, experience of driving.



What we are against is the excessively low speeds they have been set at. In some cases even 60km/h. We all know that the national speed limit in extra-urban areas is 80km/h, a decent limit given our limited size. We therefore maintain that limits set lower than that on major arteries outside urban areas are illegal.



We would also like to stress the point that such low limit traps are counterproductive for a variety of reasons. Such as:-



-Motorists will keep an eye on the speedometer rather than the road, resulting in even more accidents, not less. This was the case elsewhere in mainland Europe.



-Others will avoid such roads altogether and take alternative routes through built-up areas, especially at night time and early afternoon, when such roads will be almost empty. Driving with moderate speeds on such roads will have far worse consequences than driving at the legal limit on major arteries.



-Driving in this country is already stressful as it is due to a number of reasons. Adding another one in the equation will be of no increased health benefit to drivers.



-In some cases, stretches of roads where these cameras were installed never had a major accident in years. Therefore they are not accident black spots and we therefore believed that the cameras were installed solely as a means to squeeze more hard-earned cash from our pockets.



-People who wanted the cameras installed, mainly councilors/mayors with all due respect, are far from experts in the field of road safety. We can safely state that councils did not consult with road experts prior to having them installed, therefore confirming our belief that they were installed as easy-revenue collectors.



Furthermore we would like to add that these illegally-set cameras are depriving the Maltese and foreign motorists responsible enjoyment of leisurely driving in this beautiful land of ours. We also express our concern that such measures are taking us to the system where the state has a paternalistic approach towards its citizens and controls them over practically every aspect in life in very much the same way as censorship of media and internet does.


In the light of the above, we therefore launch an appeal to the powers that be to see things in a more rational perspective and for common sense to prevail. We are very open to mature talks to find a mutually accepted solution. However if no such solution is forthcoming, we will use all legal means at our disposal to ensure it is.

[Pete]

Hang on. There are cameras on the island set at below the speed limit of the road?

Did I read that right?

For God's sake don't tell anyone in Goverment over here.

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by Pete

Hang on. There are cameras on the island set at below the speed limit of the road?

Did I read that right?

For God's sake don't tell anyone in Goverment over here.

That's what it appears like! The local council system is relatively new in malta - 8 years or so old - and they are having fun introducing Traffic Wardens and now speed cameras ... all purely as a source of income of course ...