The shitshow that is the smart motorway speed camera “anomaly” continues, with ministers unable to say – more than a year on – when the problem will be fixed and speeding drivers escaping prosecution.
It emerged last year that a technical problem with the way that speed cameras respond to changes in variable speed limits meant that evidence that they produced was unreliable.
It’s worth quoting from transport minister Lord Hendy’s written statement last December to nail down the timing.
On 10 September, National Highways informed the Department for Transport of an anomaly on the M5 following a challenge to a speeding offence. Ministers were informed of the anomaly and that National Highways was expanding its analysis to additional sites. On 13 October, Ministers were informed that National Highways had identified this was a national issue, whereby a technical anomaly with the way some variable speed cameras interact with signs was affecting some enforcement on parts of England’s Strategic Road Network.
It’s 13 October today. Roads minister Justin Madders has just responded to a parliamentary question from Tory MP Alison Griffiths asking
how many speed cameras on (a) motorways and (b) A-roads remain affected by the technical anomaly; and what proportion of affected cameras have had the Home Office-approved solution implemented.
Madders did his best to obscure the fact that the fix is still not in place yet and that the problem affects the whole smart motorway network:
The anomaly impacts 154 cameras on 10% (440 miles) of the Strategic Road Network (4500 miles), which accounts for ~0.2% of the whole road network in England. A solution to the technical anomaly has been developed and is undergoing thorough testing. The police continue to enforce speed offences on the network via a range of tactics.
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