NSW Govt. will repay $1m in speeding fines obtained in Lane Cove Tunnel

[Hunter]

Looks like Eric Roozendaal has reacted to the roasting he copped (and his asbestos undies are home I suspect) - the NSW govt. will now repay almost $1m in speeding fines from the Lane Cove Tunnel

Linkage

THE State Government will repay almost $1 million in speeding fines to about 6000 motorists after a spectacular about-face by Roads Minister Eric Roozendaal yesterday.

Conceding that drivers deserved the benefit of the doubt for breaking an occasional 40km/h limit in the Lane Cove Tunnel, Mr Roozendaal said all fines would be reversed.

A Treasury spokesman last night confirmed that $990,000 in fines would be repaid.

Demerit points also would be reversed for any driver who had been fined from March 25 until midnight last night for breaking the 40km/h limit but not exceeding 80km/h.

In the past seven weeks 13,589 drivers have been fined in the tunnel, a disproportionate number compared with other tunnels.

A driver boycott of the tunnel and motorist outrage over what many motorists claimed were inadequate signs had failed to move Mr Roozendaal.

On Tuesday he suggested that drivers who didn't pay their fines would be seen in court.

The defiance continued yesterday morning, when all Premier Morris Iemma would say was that the RTA was investigating.

An hour later, Mr Roozendaal announced that all fines would be quashed and legislation introduced if necessary to allow any fines paid to be refunded.

He said data he received overnight from Treasury showed there was a problem.

"What concerns me is the very high number of infringements being issued for speeding over the 40km/h limit.

"Further statistical analysis provided to me this morning, which was based on other tunnels in Sydney, indicates that the Lane Cove Tunnel accounts for a disproportionately large number of infringements issued in tunnels in NSW," he said.

"Of the speeding offences in NSW tunnels issued since January 1, 2007, the Lane Cove Tunnel accounts for over 30 per cent. Clearly there is a problem."

Mr Roozendaal denied the 40km/h infringements were a device to offset $20 million that the Government paid tunnel operator because the opening was delayed until the morning after the March election.

Suspicions about such a ploy were raised when no signs of maintenance work were seen on many of the occasions when a 40km/h limit was imposed.

A total of 6076 motorists were fined up to $590 and faced three-month suspensions for breaking a 40km/h speed limit imposed in the Lane Cove Tunnel for maintenance work.

Extra signs are being considered and the road rules will be enforced from today.

[Mechan1k]

Yeah I am pretty sure it was mentioned at the end of this thread that the fines had been dropped for drivers that were doing 80km/h or less.

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=102159

[Hunter]

Oh right, sorry :