'Please explain' issued to Auckland Transport over non-functioning red light cameras

Monday, 28 May 2018

Red light running is endemic in Auckland and Councillor Chris Darby wants action to get red light cameras working.

Auckland Transport has been ordered to explain why its red light cameras are not working, and have not resulted in a ticket for years.

Councillor Chris Darby, the chairman of Auckland Council's planning committee, said he learnt about the extent of the issue through reading a Stuff story on Friday.

The news was 'a revelation' and not what had been conveyed by Auckland Transport (AT) to his committee or the mayor's office, Darby said.

'I am catching up with AT today. I want it made clear, from AT to me, what the barriers are to ensuring that we have a comprehensive set of red light cameras at intersections.'

**READ MORE:

Planning committee chair Chris Darby wants an explanation from AT following a Stuff investigation.

* Former PM Helen Clark calls for action on out-of-commission red lights

* Auckland Transport's red lights haven't worked for years

Red light cameras installed by Auckland Transport in Auckland have not issued a ticket since October 2015.

* Red light runners: Hundreds of accidents, rising deaths, but no increase in fines**

More than $2 million dollars of ratepayers' money has been spent on red light cameras by Auckland Transport and the former Auckland City Council.

Former prime minister Helen Clark says it is 'time for action' on Auckland's inoperational red light cameras.

However, no tickets have been issued since late 2015, documents released to Stuff under the Official Information Act have revealed.

Darby believed red light running was endemic to Auckland and it was likely thousands of Aucklanders were running red lights every day.

He said he had learnt from AT staff, about four to six weeks ago, there were issues with police not having enough staff to support AT-run cameras, but only learned the details from the Stuff story.

However, national road policing operations manager Inspector Peter McKennie denied there was an issue with funding for staff.

Red light cameras installed by police have been enforced – two in Auckland, in Lambie Drive and Te Irirangi/Ti Rakau Drives, and one in Wellington in Karo Drive/Victoria St.

Darby wanted to see all the funding for red light cameras sitting with AT, so there was only one point of contact for funding decisions.

'I am annoyed people are getting killed on the roads and we are not deploying the tools we should be deploying and making them fully operational.'

The proposed Regional Land Transport Plan would see $8 million allocated to AT to upgrade red light cameras and install new ones.

Over the weekend, former prime minister Helen Clark said, on Twitter, road safety and enforcement seemed to have slipped.

'This lack of enforcement against red light running puts pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles at great risk. Time for action!' she tweeted.