Installation and maintenance cost of A9 safety cameras: EIR release

FOI reference: FOI/18/00581
Date received: 21 February 2018
Date responded: 19 March 2018

Information requested

I am writing to request information regarding the introduction of the Average Speed Cameras on the A9. I would like details of the exact cost of installation and maintenance,how much revenue has been made from Speeding fines since installation and what are the Statutory regulations for Average Speed camera signage. Can you also confirm if this was fully debated in parliament? What were the votes for and against? And where I can get further information regarding implementation of these cameras?

Response

As the information you have requested is 'environmental information' for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

I have numbered our response for ease of reference.

1. The total capital and maintenance costs associated with the A9 average speed camera system totals £3.28m.

2. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested in relation to how much revenue has been made from speeding fines. Therefore we are refusing your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs. The reason why that exception applies is that the amount of money collected from fines issued is an enforcement issue which is dealt with by Police Scotland. You may wish to contact Police Scotland at foi@scotland.pnn.police.uk who may be able to help you.

3. The national speed limit signing in place meets current best practice standards and is consistent with that used on similar average speed camera systems used elsewhere in the UK.

4. The introduction of average speed camera system on the A9 was not debated in Parliament, its delivery was overseen by the A9 Safety Group which is a multi-agency group to reduce fatal and serious road traffic accidents on the route. Further information about the A9 can be found on the following link:

http://a9road.info/

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