Where does the money go, paid by speed awareness course attendees? It goes on speed cameras (and operating them) and on police motorcycles!
As readers might be aware, NDORS and the Government have claimed that the police only receive the administration costs associated with the provision of speed awareness courses (allegedly a fixed fee of £35 now). It is likely that this fee more than covers their actual costs, but apart from that there are other ways they receive money from the course providers. Some evidence of this is already on our web site, but more evidence came to our attention recently.
In 2013 Essex County Council responded to a Freedom of Information Act request on the revenue generated from the provision of such courses. The full detail can be read in this link but a summary is given below: http://webapps1.essexcc.gov.uk/FOIdotNET/view_doc.aspx?DocID=1234
Apart from the fact that the numbers attending such courses grew from 4,483 persons in 2010/2011 to 22,778 persons in 2012/2013, it spells out where the surplus that arises over their costs is spent. As it says: “During 2012/13, the ECRB allocated two sums of money from the financial surplus that remained at the end of 2011/12 (the latest year for which audited accounts are available). Both sums were awarded to Essex Police; one for approximately £20,000 for the purchase of two hand-held speed detection devices and the other for approximately £70,000 for the purchase of two motorcycles. The first award is primarily aimed at encouraging compliance with speed limits and the second is primarily aimed at reducing accidents involving motorcyclists.”
In addition, it says “Essex Police are able to recover their costs for the detection and processing of offences captured which includes the highway authorities recovering the majority of the costs incurred maintaining the permanent safety camera installations within their area”.
So in summary, this directly contradicts what NDORS and the Government have been saying. And it is this money that is driving the increase in speed cameras and their use by the police.
Roger Lawson
AMPOW - Speed Awareness Campaign 