Each Wednesday, we’ll publish quick summaries of the articles from the last week on TheNewspaper.com. We’re doing this because these articles are often strongly connected to the issues that National Motorists Association members are interested in.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
California Busts Red-Light Camera Companies Over Wage Laws
The two largest providers of red-light camera systems in the country have been caught flouting labor laws. The California Department of Industrial Relations has taken action against American Traffic Systems (ATS) of Arizona and Redflex Traffic Systems of Australia for failing to pay contractors prevailing wage rates, despite a contractual obligation to do so.
Monday, March 17, 2014
California Supreme Court Orders Red-Light Camera Warnings
Photo ticketing programs in California must provide a thirty-day waiting period at each individual red-light camera location before issuing tickets. That finding, handed down Thursday by the state Supreme Court, came as a big surprise to municipalities that believe their legal duties are done when they have a warning period at the very start of the ticketing program, not when other locations are added — sometimes years later. The ruling was not a victory for motorists as the justices went out of their way to minimize the impact of their finding by ensuring it could not be used as a defense against improperly issued citations or a reason to compel refunds.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
France, Spain, UK: Traffic Cameras Trashed
In Lanhellen, France, vigilantes burned a speed camera last week Saturday. Ouest France reported that a half-dozen burning tires were placed around the automated ticketing machine on the RN164. In the same region, another camera had been burned on the RN165 at 2:30am on March 3 in Loire-Atlantique, according to Presse Ocean.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Sues ATS For Breach Of Contract
Breaking up with a red-light camera company can be messy. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania believes American Traffic Solutions (ATS) is pouting over its loss of the multi-million-dollar contract to operate red-light cameras in the city. Municipal officials notified the Arizona-based company two days before Christmas that they were about to award a competitor, Xerox, the right to issue automated citations once the contract was up on February 14. Philadelphia claims ATS is not living up to its contract obligations because it pulled the plug on the cameras before Xerox had a chance to set up shop, costing the city $2.8 million in lost ticket revenue.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Texas Judge Blocks Red-Light Camera Vote In Cleveland
Lawyers for American Traffic Solutions (ATS) told a Texas judge that voters in the city of Cleveland should have no say in whether red-light cameras are used in their community. Last week, Judge Carroll Wilborn Jr agreed, giving the Arizona-based photo ticketing firm the injunction it sought keeping voters from seeing a camera ban on the May ballot.
