Mr. John Twomey:

This is the first time this type of contract has been used anywhere and the outsourcing of enforcement to mobile safety cameras is a unique approach, as in other jurisdictions fixed cameras are used. We use a mobile camera that offers greater flexibility and as compliance improved, we had the flexibility that we spoke about earlier. Calculations were based on what happened in other jurisdictions and the estimated reduction of 50% in the level of enforcement. It was a best guess at the time and there were heavy caveats in the original tender outlining that this was a new and variable factor. We were moving into the unknown in terms of estimating any costs or cost savings.

The key issue for us is the saving of lives. That is why safety was used as a factor at the outset rather than speed. This was not about speed detection cameras but safety cameras because we wanted people to slow down. We told people where the sites are and they know that if they exceed the speed limit in those locations, they are more likely to be killed or seriously injured than anywhere else on the road network. Those places are clusters where fatalities and serious injuries occurred. There are many elements attached to the issue and the key indicator from a road safety perspective was whether lives were saved. It was difficult to introduce an estimate as it was a unique operation.