Police warm to variable speed limits for Airport Link and Gateway Motorway

[csv8]

Police warm to variable speed limits for Airport Link and Gateway Motorway

by: Robyn Ironside From: The Courier-Mail April 04, 2012 12:00AM 35

REVENUE RAISER: A screen-grab of the altered speed limits in the Clem7 tunnel on May 13, 2011. Source: The Courier-Mail
VARIABLE speed limits that have incurred the wrath of drivers in the Clem7 are to be rolled out on other major roads.

The revelation comes as police statistics show that, on at least one day last year, revenue from speed fines in the tunnel outstripped money generated by tolls in the Clem7.

The variable limits are set to operate in Brisbane Airport Link when it opens mid-year and there also are plans to enforce the signs on the Gateway Motorway at Nudgee.

Motorists are currently given four minutes to adjust their speed when limits are dropped by as much as 40km/h in response to crashes, breakdowns or roadworks before fines are imposed.

Police have indicated that any enforcement of the variable limits elsewhere would be accompanied or preceded by an awareness campaign.

In the first four months of their enforcement in the Clem7, 8862 motorists were snapped in excess of the changed speed limit. It comes as the embattled owners of the Clem7 tunnel are considering raising tolls for cars to $4.50 - up from $3.95.


RiverCity Motorway Chief Executive Mark Snape has confirmed the company has permission to raise tolls in 2012, to a maximum of $4.54 for cars and $12.03 for heavy commercial vehicles.

Although no decision has been taken, Mr Snape said that tolls were reviewed periodically.

"If changes are proposed these will be implemented in accordance with the requirements of the project deed (with Brisbane City Council)," he said.

"Under the deed, RiverCity Motorway is permitted to levy tolls on the Clem7 up to a theoretical maximum amount which is increased annually based on movements in CPI."

Although traffic volumes have fallen by about 5000 vehicles a day since last year's toll hike from $3 to $3.95, toll revenue has increased by about $7000 a day.

An increase to $4.50 would add an extra $11,000 to toll revenue providing traffic volumes remained the same.

In May, an average of $28,428 worth of fines a day were issued, compared with just $27,274 in tolls collected on the Labour Day public holiday.

Since May, when enforcing variable speed limit signs resulted in 3694 tickets being issued, the number of offending motorists has fallen steadily.

In January, only 600 speedsters were snapped in the tunnel at a cost of $3638 a day.

Most drivers caught speeding in the Clem7 are photographed doing less than 13km/h over the limit which is generally 80km/h.

Paul Turner, from motoring body RACQ, said a decision to raise tolls because of RiverCity Motorway's desperate financial position would hurt motorists.

"Based on their original projections the Clem7 should be carrying about 50,000 more vehicles a day than it is. That would make a real difference to Brisbane's congested inner-city," he said.

RCM has been in receivership since last February with debts of $1.3 billion.
My comment : This is about safety !! BS!! BLATANT revenue raising...

[Brazen]

The Government must be laughing all he way to the bank, they got a private company to spend billions making this road, then the government reduces speed limits, chucks in some speed cameras and now makes more money than the company that owns the road.

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by csv8

It comes as the embattled owners of the Clem7 tunnel are considering raising tolls for cars to $4.50 - up from $3.95.

maybe they should just add a speed camera.. for safety, you know.

[cheap]

Originally Posted by Brazen

The Government must be laughing all he way to the bank, they got a private company to spend billions making this road, then the government reduces speed limits, chucks in some speed cameras and now makes more money than the company that owns the road.

Variable speed cameras have limits and can only generate so much income (eh help the community to be safer).

The next innovation is Random Variable Speed Cameras, by using the proven safety features of variable speed cameras, the Queensland Government will link the variable speed cameras to a random number generator where the signed speed is randomly selected and displayed randomly every few seconds. This initiative will be a considerable improvement to driver awareness, safety and income. Coming soon to a tunnel near you!

[Mr Hardware]

Can you please provide a link to the article you are quoting.

[dimka100]

Whats really disappointing is that individuals can not fund/instal a speed camera and collect the revenue themselves ...

[Nic85]

I drive the gateway motorway every day for work. I can tell you first hand that, that road is a joke of epic proportions. If you're not past the Pine Rivers bridge by 5:30am, you're basically ****** in bumper to bumper traffic from the start of the gateway all the way to the airport exit.

How about instead of thinking of more ways to screw the road up, they spend some freaking money on fixing the bloody thing. The on ramps cause massive amounts of traffic congestion in the morning. At least one feeder lane is only about 50m long - 50m to get from 60km/h to 100km/h is not long enough.

Fix the roads. Don't shove more crap about speed kills down our throats.

[XD 351 Ute]

Originally Posted by Nic85

At least one feeder lane is only about 50m long - 50m to get from 60km/h to 100km/h is not long enough.

Fix the roads. Don't shove more crap about speed kills down our throats.

This is probably one of the worst aspects of the road.
Trying to enter in normal traffic is bad enough, let alone peak-hour.
I'm glad I only visit Brisbane occasionally.

Ed

[Jim Goose]

It made the news tonight, had Police minister and one of the new ministers blabbing on about it.

Showed somewhere in the Brissy CBD variable speed signs in use already?

[GS608]

Originally Posted by Nic85

I drive the gateway motorway every day for work. I can tell you first hand that, that road is a joke of epic proportions. If you're not past the Pine Rivers bridge by 5:30am, you're basically ****** in bumper to bumper traffic from the start of the gateway all the way to the airport exit.

How about instead of thinking of more ways to screw the road up, they spend some freaking money on fixing the bloody thing. The on ramps cause massive amounts of traffic congestion in the morning. At least one feeder lane is only about 50m long - 50m to get from 60km/h to 100km/h is not long enough.

Fix the roads. Don't shove more crap about speed kills down our throats.

I remember seeing that on my way up to Caboolture a few weeks ago..was heading north, stand still from pretty much the deagon deviation through to mango hill/north lakes.

[Franco Cozzo]

Boo-hoo, another speed camera and more variable limits.

Come for a drive here in Victoria if you want to complain about speed cameras and revenue raising.

[Kevaclone]

I'm glad I had my GPS unit with me when I worked in Melbourne for two months at the end of 2010, that damn thing was going off so frequently I was checking the mirrors to see for my self, and the GPS was right. Bloody cameras hanging off every overpass and overhead signs, even one on the Princes Hwy hiding behind a sign off to the side of the road....... though I didn't see any variable speed cameras like those up here in QLD.

QLD Govt changed the regs without notifying those affected, ie. Us. first anyone knew of it was when a stack of people lost their licences in one hit when the speed in the Clem7 was dropped to 40 for a broken down car. Everyone slowed to 40 and then sped up again after passing. But they should have waited till they passed the next speed sign almost 1klm past the broken down car. This was of course where the speed camera is located and was operating at the 40 limit. so anyone who was doing 80 lost their licence for 6 months.
For this system to be fair they need to locate the speed signs much closer together because it's pointless having traffic crawl along at 40 upto 1klm past an incident

[csv8]

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

Can you please provide a link to the article you are quoting.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/p...-1226318007524

[Lightning Strike GT]

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

It made the news tonight, had Police minister and one of the new ministers blabbing on about it.

Showed somewhere in the Brissy CBD variable speed signs in use already?

Yep thru the Valley - they change to 40 about 8pm on an Friday and Sat night so the drunks do not get cleaned up by cars when the are acting like tools running on the road - more nanny state hand holding for the idiots out there that take no responsibilities for their drunk actions and blame the poor motorist

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by Lightning Strike GT

Yep thru the Valley - they change to 40 about 8pm on an Friday and Sat night so the drunks do not get cleaned up by cars when the are acting like tools running on the road - more nanny state hand holding for the idiots out there that take no responsibilities for their drunk actions and blame the poor motorist

Oh ok, havent been to brissy CBD in years now, I thought the 40kmh limit was gonna be perminent when it was announced a few yrs back.

But yes seems like people out of control (ie drunk) cost the government too much, so they gotta make up for it by giving the motorist greif.

[Lightning Strike GT]

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

Oh ok, havent been to brissy CBD in years now, I thought the 40kmh limit was gonna be perminent when it was announced a few yrs back.

But yes seems like people out of control (ie drunk) cost the government too much, so they gotta make up for it by giving the motorist greif.

Yep it is a blanket 40kmh thru the city apart from the 2 major thouroughfares (Ann & Turbot Sts) - this was out in for the stupid pedestrians that like the Ipod in the ears or the phone up to the head or wandering down the road texting and looking the the phone intead of being aware of their surroundings - it is easier to fine the motorist instead of educating the rest of the general moronic public