Box junction camera 'put up to catch out drivers'

COUNCILLOR CLAIMS IT WILL BE A 'CASH COW' FOR COUNCIL BUT SAYS DRIVERS WILL EASILY FALL FOUL OF HATCHING, WITH FINES ALREADY ISSUED

- By OSCAR FISHER

DERBY councillors have raised concerns over a new traffic camera on “one of the city’s busiest roads,” with fears it could catch out unsuspecting motorists.

A number of Conservative councillors have criticised a new Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera at the junction between Cathedral Road and St Alkmund’s Way/Ford Street.

The camera overlooks a box junction - those yellow crosshatched boxes at busy junctions - and is believed to be in place to penalise drivers who wrongly stop in the marked area.

Councillors have questioned the new camera, with some questioning whether there are enough signs warning drivers of its presence - and others labelling it a “cash cow”.

Deputy leader of the Derby Conservative Group, Spondon councillor Jonathan Smale, said he was informed about the camera last week and has since visited the site to check it out for himself.

While he understands that bad drivers should be punished, he says he can’t help but feel this is “designed to catch out legitimate drivers making honest mistakes”