In the wake of the public outcry over the millions of dollars in fines generated by the new 40km/h speed zone in Civic, ACT motorists are now being invited to share their opinions on the government's speed camera enforcement program.
The latest consultation is part of a speed camera audit held every three years.
The online survey, in which respondents can remain anonymous, opened last week. Responses will be assessed by Monash University's Accident Research Centre (MUARC), which is being paid $164,342 to evaluate the program.
This will be the third audit since speed cameras began to roll out across the territory in 2015.
But more notably, it comes after the most controversial of speed limit adjustments - supported by camera enforcement - ever seen in the national capital.
Last year over 27,000 fines were issued by speed cameras on parts of Northbourne Avenue, London Circuit and Barry Drive between July 5 and August 8 when the new 40km/h speed limit was imposed within the city centre.
In the first day of the Civic cameras' recalibration to automatically issue fines and demerits, 1200 people were detected speeding in the newly installed zone. This came after more than 20,000 motorists were issued warnings in the preceding weeks leading up to the activation.
Angry motorists accused the government of failing to provide enough warning of the new limit and not posting sufficient signage or messaging.
The Liberals' Transport spokesman Mark Parton said the poor communications had led to an "extremely perverse outcome" where people were penalised when there was "certainly no intent to break the law".
Since then, millions of dollars in added revenue have been generated by the new speed limit, prompting a petition signed by 1200 people to review the infringements, and a Legislative Assembly inquiry into how the rollout of the new limit could have been better managed.
City Services Minister Chris Steel has yet to rule on the four recommendations made by the committee of inquiry.
The debacle over the city-based speed cameras also followed on from one of the worst technical and judicial failures of the Gatso camera technology since it was introduced.
Between February 29 and March 13 2020, 593 falsely dated camera infringement notices were automatically issued due to what was described as a "technical issue".
The ACT government at first attempted to cover up the issue, then claimed the the date error did not invalidate the infringement, and refused to reissue with the correct dates.
But when the validity of the fines was challenged in court by a Braidwood farmer, the government lost its case.
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The latest consultation will seek public views as to whether or not the ACT's cameras are a benefit to road safety and given the technology has such a chequered history in recent years, the responses may prove robust and less than flattering to the government.
The ACT operates fixed 13 red light speed cameras, 13 fixed speed cameras at nine locations, one point-to-point camera on Hindmarsh Drive, and 10 mobile camera vans.
Responses to the 2018 audit revealed public sentiment was weighted far more heavily toward increased police patrols, rather than more speed cameras.
Published in March 2019, the MUARC report found the overwhelming majority of respondents - 42 per cent - 'agreed strongly' driver behaviour would improve through increasing the number of police on the roads.
But equally, of the majority of residents who thought speed enforcement was on the increase in Canberra, 57 per cent thought the level of enforcement should be decreased and the associated penalties should be less severe (also 57 per cent).
The 2018 survey also found 61 per cent of people in Canberra believed speeding fines were mainly intended to raise revenue, and 40 per cent found it was OK to speed if it was done "safely".
- The survey can be completed at yoursayconversations.act.gov.au
