The ACT government should consider waiving thousands of speeding fines from a newly introduced 40km/h zone in Canberra's city centre, a parliamentary inquiry has recommended.
The Legislative Assembly's tripartisan planning, transport and city services committee recommended fine waivers ought to be considered where the penalties resulted in financial hardship.
The committee made four recommendations, which included better warnings ahead of future speed zone changes and a permanent fine waiver system for vulnerable people.
A 40km/h zone was introduced in Civic in March 2021 and speeding fines were issued from the start of July.
More than 1200 drivers were caught speeding by the cameras on the first day they were switched over the lower limits.
Multiple fines were issued to 3279 drivers between July 5 and July 31, while 15,195 motorists received one fine.
There were more than 27,000 speeding fines issued by cameras in the new zone - on parts of Northbourne Avenue, London Circuit and Barry Drive - between July 5 and August 8, which required significant effort to process.
In the first four days of operation with the new speed limit, the cameras detected an average of 391 infringements a day.
The committee recommended the ACT government continue to expand its 40km/h speed zones, but transport authorities should issue individual warning notices in the first month following significant speed zone changes.
The ACT should also consult on adopting a NSW system to waive traffic fines issued to people classed as vulnerable due to financial hardship, mental health reasons or otherwise, the committee said.
"The committee recommends that the ACT government consult with Care Incorporated, Canberra Community Law, Legal Aid and ACTCOSS to explore permanent grounds to waive traffic fines where the individual is a vulnerable person," the committee's report, released on Friday, said.
Transport Minister Chris Steel on Friday said the ACT government would consider the recommendations of the committee and respond to the Legislative Assembly within four months.
"I thank the Committee for its support for the expansion of 40km/h zones in built up areas and their acknowledgement that government communications on the speed limit change in the city was thorough," Mr Steel said.
"The government has listened to feedback and we have increased the size of the signage at the entrance to the 40km/h zones in the city - beyond the standards required. We are also implementing further pavement markings."
The committee's inquiry was prompted by petitions to the Legislative Assembly sponsored by the opposition spokesman on transport, Mark Parton.
Mr Parton said last year the poor messaging ahead of the speed zone change led to an "extremely perverse outcome".
The committee inquiry, which received 50 submissions, found the government communications "were thorough" but warnings for individual drivers should have been issued.
ACT road officials had recommended the government should write to every licensed driver in Canberra to inform them of the new 40km/h speed zone but the idea was rejected by ministers.
Better Regulation Minister Tara Cheyne knocked back the proposal, and rejected a plan to issue warning letters to those caught speeding in an amnesty period.
"Each warning letter would cost over $1 per letter in postage and stationery. In order to send warning letters, Access Canberra staff would have been required to first adjudicate each offence so as to retrieve data from the Rego ACT system to allow populating the warning letters with personalised information," Ms Cheyne said in an answer to a question on notice in the Legislative Assembly last year.
"Accordingly, the staffing costs are estimated to have been in the vicinity of $300,000, including significant diversion of resources."
Traffic fine revenue was expected to rise by more than $32 million last year, with the increase driven by fines in a new 40km/h zone in the city centre where infringements "exceeded all expectations".
