In this week’s TheNewspaper.com Roundup!
-Italian Speed Cam Scandal–
-Redflex downturn–
-Fremont, CA double downs–
Friday, March 3, 2017
Italy: Speed Camera Scandal Means Prison For CEO, Top Cop
The United States is not alone when it comes to photo enforcement scandals. Long before federal officials began cracking down on Redflex Traffic Systems for bribing public officials, Italy’s anti-crime units were raiding the offices of photo enforcement companies and covering speed cameras while the systems remained under investigation. Last week, those efforts paid off with the conviction of a key official in the town of Casorate Sempione and the owner of the speed camera firm Igea Srl.
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Redflex Reports $26.2 Million Loss
The red ink has not slowed at Redflex Traffic Systems, the troubled photo enforcement firm. In documents filed with the Australian Securities Exchange on Tuesday, the Melbourne-based company admitted its losses for the first half of the fiscal year swelled to $32,961,000 before tax, or $26,262,000 after taking into account tax writeoffs.
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Voters In Canadian Town Overhelmingly Reject Photo Enforcement
Voters in Central Alberta town of Drayton Valley, Canada took to the polls Monday to register overwhelming opposition to the continued use of speed cameras and red-light cameras. Residents of the oil and gas town, located 83 miles southeast of Edmonton, also selected a new mayor, Michael Doerksen, who pledged on Tuesday to keep his campaign promises, which included removal of the cameras.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
California City Doubles Down On Yellow Time Shortening
The inadvertent shortening of yellow times at intersections in Fremont, California helped the San Francisco suburb’s red-light cameras generate an extra $200,000 in revenue every month. Newly obtained internal city emails discussing the scandal confirm that the city’s public works director intends to re-shorten the yellow times to lock in an extra $2.4 million in photo ticketing proceeds.
Monday, February 27, 2017
France: Speed Camera Exclaims
Vigilantes in Dax, France sent a message to local officials last week as they took one of the area’s more lucrative automated ticketing machines out of service. According to Sud Ouest, the speed camera installed last month on the D6 Route de Tercis had its lenses covered with three spraypainted exclamation points. Just a few weeks ago, the same device had been spraypainted red.
