Traffic cameras, such as red light cameras, are not used for enforcement due to “reluctance of either” the Gardai or Dublin City Council to “take responsibility” according to an official Dublin City Council response to a motion from a councillor has said.
IrishCycle.com reported recently that Ireland’s only two red light cameras left idle for nearly 7 years.
At the time we reported a Department of Transport official told colleagues how rollout of red light cameras has “some unknown reason this has been sitting with the NTA for the last 2 years and it is holding up the whole process”, according to records released after a Freedom of Information.
The new information — which puts the blame on Dublin City Council and the Gardai — was contained in an official response to the Draft Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028 motion on traffic enforcement cameras.
The motion, in the name of Cllr Cieran Perry (independent), said: “That the Development Plan should provide a commitment that Dublin City Council will accept responsibility for traffic cameras.”
The motion was according to council management “an operational matter and outside of the scope of the Development Plan”. The Chief Executive recommendation was to refer the issue to the traffic and transport committee.
Officials, under the title “Planning Reason” said: “The roll out of traffic cameras has paused due to a reluctance of either An Garda Síochána or Dublin City Council to take responsibility for operation and monitoring. The pause has delayed the opportunity to use traffic cameras for identifying breaches of traffic legislation such as red light running etc.”
IMAGE: The inactive red light camera on Blackhall Place is shown in the top right-hand corner of this image.
Is this same ‘reluctance’ behind the debacle that is the HGV Permit Tracker App where we can obtain no information about the number of truck owners/operators/drivers who have been prosecuted for permit breaches?