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Drivers caught to the tune of £8 million by council spy cars last year

Drive-by spies’ are raking in the money for local councils all over Britain. In 12 months, the UK’s fleet of 54 mobile CCTV-equipped Smarts brought in an amazing £8million in fines from 188,000 motorists.

Costing just over £40,000 each, the 54 Smart Cars equipped with CCTV cameras earned an average of £187,668 per vehicle.

Two thirds of the councils are using private contractors to operate the spy-cars, triggering fears that companies are seeking to maximise income rather than promote safety.
One contractor says on its website that the use of the cars in Islington, central London, has led to a higher payment rate of Penalty Charge Notices than those issued by civil enforcement officers patrolling on foot.

Research by Big Brother Watch, a civil liberties campaign group, has revealed that drivers have been hit with penalty charge notices for parking and minor motoring infringements after being caught on camera.

Dylan Sharpe, from Big Brother Watch – the website that used Freedom of Information laws to get the figures – said: “The cars go out to make money; safety is an afterthought. £8 million is an eye-watering amount to take in fines in just 25 councils.

"They are catching parents dropping their kids off at schools, people who have accidentally driven into a box junction. Then there are motorists who have stopped outside a shop to unload for a few seconds and then get a fine 14 days later. Drivers are being used as a cash cow.
"It is surely only a matter of time before more councils start using these cars. The Coalition Government must act now and prevent that from happening."

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