ACT expected to rake in $6m a month from new speed limit fines

Slashing the speed limit on two popular Canberra roads had led to a windfall of almost $6million for the Australian Capital Territory Government in just one month alone.

In June, the ACT Government changed the speed limit along Northbourne Avenue and Barry Drive – both of which link the CBD to Canberra's northern suburbs – from 60km/h to 40km/h in a bid to reduce traffic incidents, with crashes reported to have dropped by more than 30 per cent already.

According to The Canberra Times, 18,437 fines and infringement notices were handed out in the first three weeks of July to drivers caught by fixed speed cameras going northbound at the intersections of Northbourne Avenue/Barry Drive, southbound on Northbourne Avenue/London Circuit and westbound at Barry Drive/Marcus Clarke Street.

The number of drivers fined was less than those found to be speeding in the weeks prior. In the two-week period between the speed limit changing and fines being handed out from July 5, more than 20,000 motorists were issued official warnings.

With speeding fines starting out at $260 for exceeding the limit by up to 15km/h, the ACT Government has made just under $1.6m a week from fines – which could end up at over $6m a month if drivers don't heed of the new rule.

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NRMA spokesman, Peter Khoury, told the newspaper he believes the number of motorists caught in the grace period and fined thereafter reflects a lack of communication.

"They [ACT Government] know they're going to generate revenue from these cameras, so that revenue should be used for things like education campaigns around speed limit changes," said Khoury.

"Because there's one thing worse than someone doing 50 in a 40 zone and getting fined; it's someone inadvertently doing 50 in a 40 zone and putting their life and the lives of other people at risk."

Josh Rynehart, an executive branch manager for Access Canberra, told ABC Radio the ACT Government had done enough to let road users know about the speed limit changes and the onus was on them to take notice.

"There is a process people can go through to apply to withdraw or dispute the fine," Rynehart said.

"However, we did put in a significant amount of messaging and signage, and a number of public messages, to inform people about the change.

"And there are a number of signs in the space indicating the speed people do need to drive."

The manager added that the number of drivers caught speeding at the intersections had dropped from around 10-12 per cent before the change was made to 3-4 per cent after.

The 18,437 infringement notices issued in July, however, is more than five times the number of tickets handed out to Canberra drivers passing the city's busiest speed camera in 2020 – the fixed camera on the Monaro Highway – where 3433 motorists were caught out.