Camera fines fall, revenue up

SPEED cameras on the Princes Fwy are snapping fewer motorists but generating more revenue.
Justice Department figures show that in the past financial year the Geelong Rd cameras collected $19,432,975, an increase of $144,082 over the previous 12 months.
But the cameras recorded 107,732 infringements, down by 1931 on the previous financial year.
The revenue trend follows Victoria-wide figures, with a record $269 million poured into State Government coffers from speed and red-light cameras.
The top take was from the Melbourne-bound Princes Fwy camera at Forsyth Rd Bridge, Hoppers Crossing, snapping 21,089 infringements totalling $3,701,752.
The Melbourne-bound camera on the West Gate Fwy, Altona North, collected $3,404,811, while the Melbourne-bound Avalon Rd Bridge camera at Lara took $2,659,697.
But suburban motorists appear to be learning to avoid cameras around Geelong, with both infringements and fines down.
Cameras caught 11,342 infringements with fines totalling $2,422,176 for the 2011 to 2012 period, compared with 14,971 infringements and $2,942,155 in fines for 2010/2011.
A camera at the intersection of Princes Hiwy and Sparks Rd, Norlane, caught the most infringements – 3880 – slugging motorists $797,254.
The next highest grossing cameras were at Princes Hwy and Pioneer Rd, Grovedale, with 3686 infringements, worth $678,332, and at Latrobe Tce and Fyans St, South Geelong with 1403 infringements, worth $321,113.
Other camera sites, infringements and fines included: West Gate Fwy, Altona North, Geelong-bound, 14,578, $2,653,721;
Princes Fwy, Hoppers Crossing, Forsyth Rd Bridge, Geelong-bound, 12,816, $2,297,616; Princes Fwy, Little River, Point Wilson Rd Bridge, Melbourne-bound, 8767, $1,620,662; Princes Fwy, Little River, Point Wilson Rd Bridge, Geelong-bound, 8631, $1,576,960; Princes Fwy, Lara, Avalon Rd Bridge, Geelong-bound, 8564, $1,517,756; Shannon Ave and Noble St, Newtown, 812, $175,600; The Boulevard and Melbourne Rd, Norlane, 681, $177,805; Princes Hwy and Purnell Rd, Corio, 407, $125,359; Thompson Rd and Separation St, North Geelong, 186, $57,036; Shannon Ave and Aphrasia St, Newtown, 128, $40,264; Settlement Rd and Torquay Rd, Belmont, 69, $21,351; Church St and Shannon Ave, Geelong West, 62, $19,522; Latrobe Tce and Myers St, Newtown, 28, $8540.