Cities want speed cameras

Councils could operate their own red-light and speed cameras – and motorists could be charged to enter downtown Wellington – under powers sought by Greater Wellington regional council.

The regional council is lobbying the Government to allow councils to operate their own cameras in a bid to curb the region's growing road toll.

Council officials say controversial road charges, congestion pricing or tolls will be needed if the region is to meet its transport targets, which call for more public transport use and less reliance on cars.

The initiatives come on the back of crash statistics that show more people are being killed or maimed on Wellington region roads than at any time in the past nine years.

Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast said operating red-light and speed cameras would let the city monitor dangerous spots without needing police for enforcement.

"I could see huge advantages for the city. It would be judicious use. Putting them everywhere would not be on the agenda."

Cameras have been credited with reducing red-light running by more than 40 per cent in a pilot scheme in Auckland.

Wellington road policing manager Inspector Peter Baird said any introduction of red-light cameras would need analysis of whether it would make a difference. "That conversation is yet to be had."

The Wellington region has some of the busiest speed cameras in the country, with cameras at one site in Featherston taking 18 photos per 100 cars.

Latest figures show Wellington has two of the country's five busiest speed cameras, those in Ngauranga Gorge and Mana Esplanade issuing 8883 and 5756 respectively in the year to June 2007.

The camera proposals are outlined in the regional road safety plan, adopted by the regional council last month and included in its submission on the Government's new road safety strategy.

In 2008, 48 Wellington region crashes were caused by red-light running.

Regional council transport policy and strategy manager Jane Davis said both red-light and speed cameras were effective in preventing accidents.

Congestion charging could be more contentious. Regional council officials say it will be needed to get more people out of their cars and on to public transport.

The number of passengers using the region's bus, train and ferry services has remained static for the past three years. A "considerable" increase is needed to meet the target of 25 million passenger trips a year.

Bus trips alone fell by 280,000 this year, and the number of people using public transport to access the cbd fell almost 7 per cent.

The council's annual transport report card, released this week, states: "It is likely that direct incentives such as road charges, congestion pricing and tolls, will be required in future to sustain changes in travel behaviour."

A previous council report suggested charging motorists between $1.50 and $4.50 to drive in the cbd. Another report in 2007 said congestion charging could raise between $20 million and $40m a year.