Cameras intended to catch motorists speeding, breaking red lights and driving in bus lanes could be deployed from this year, a Dublin-based TD has said.
Dublin Bay North Fine Gael TD Naoise Ó Muirí said the national strategy on the issue is due to be published in the coming months.
The National Transport Authority previously indicated a planned limited roll-out of such cameras would not take place this year. This was to allow a National Safety Camera Strategy to be published first, so a more substantial and co-ordinated programme could then be implemented.
However, in response to a parliamentary question from Mr Ó Muirí, Minister of State at the Department of Transport Seán Canney said he expects the strategy will be finalised in the first half of this year. This would “provide the framework for increased deployment of cameras across the network, in both urban and rural locations, to assist with the enforcement of a wide range of road traffic offences”.
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Mr Ó Muirí, an engineer who was previously a Dublin city councillor for 20 years and a former lord mayor, said on Sunday he believes a pilot scheme could be put in place within months of the strategy being finalised.
“There will be challenges with the technology, connectivity, standardisation, management. I expect the system will involve fixed charge notices that would be used, all sorts of challenges that you have to work on and I think trial to get right. I have some sympathy for the NTA in terms of their view that you really don’t want to be doing this piece by piece,” he said.
He said he expects to see “real progress” on the matter this year and wants to see it piloted at a “decent number of junctions” in Dublin and other locations.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland had been asked to formulate the national strategy in 2024. This was submitted to the Department of Transport last May. In his response to Mr Ó Muirí, Mr Canney described the document as a draft that was still being considered by the Road Safety Leadership Group, a process he suggested was now nearing its conclusion.
Dublin City Council head of traffic Brendan O’Brien has said the council is keen to see the roll-out of cameras in the capital due to safety and traffic flow issues.
“Stand at any junction and you’ll probably pick up red-light offenders. It’s an increasing problem,” he said, adding that “the entirety of the BusConnects corridor project depends on bus lane enforcement and having automatic camera enforcement in place”.
