Flash, Bang, Wallop - what a picture!

CCTV. Increasingly, a bane for the modern motorist. But we are grateful to one iPM listener for bringing this to our attention. A local story, but one that highlights a national problem.

Here's the rub. In London, CCTV cameras can issue fines automatically, but there are a growing number of appeals that result in local authorities having to admit that they have been issuing fines illegally, often for a variety of reasons. Nevertheless, in the time the camera's were happily flashing away they raised vasts sums of cash for the local council. But, where it has been proved the camera fallen foul of the law/regulations - is it right for the council to hold on to the money? And what chance does the motorist have of getting his or her money back? You'll find plenty of groups ( here and here ) willing to help drivers appeal, but at first glance there doesn't appear to be a move toward "best practice" and in one instance the police have now been asked to investigate alleged council fraud. More soon and your experience, advice and thoughts on this are more than welcome.

For iPM reporter Bob Platt has been speaking to one traffic camera campaigner Jonathan Greatorex.

Update

Eddie interviewed Lord Lucas yesterday for PM. He's a Conservative peer who chairs the London Motorists Action Group. We'll run a shorter clip of the interview on iPM today; here's the longer version.

And here's a longer cut of the interview with Nick Lester, Corporate Director of Services at London Councils.

• Bookmark with:
• del.icio.us |
• Digg |
• Newsvine |
• NowPublic |
• Reddit
• - What's this?