Mackenzie Mayor Scott Aronsen has criticised the New Zealand Transport Agency’s installation of safety cameras along State Highway 8, which runs through his district, saying there are better ways to improve road safety.
Aronsen said the two sets of cameras, installed by NZTA between Lake Tekapo and Twizel in March, would do more to increase revenue collection than reduce crashes in the area, but the agency says the cameras were proven to reduce speed in an area where 19% of motorists were speeding.
“It’s a revenue gathering exercise ... there are better ways to [address] road safety,” Aronsen said.
Speeding was not the main issue on the highway, and tourist traffic had reduced average speeds, he said.
“The issue … isn’t speeding.”
