CCTV Car swoops on Overbudget Bus Station

Declining profitability; up until the controvertial bus station opened

The news broken in December that the Tory CCTV car was a liability in all but name could be about to re-suface, as the Council spin machine released a statement today indicating a new potential revenue stream had been identified at the over-budget bus station, at the same time that the cars were lambasted for declining profitability and high staff turnover.

In December the press reported in great detail (see above) about how the cars were loosing profitability and were subject to huge numbers of public appeals against there operation.

It now appears that the Tory Car had found a new wheeze with which to make money

You will remember the below facts from December

• Tory CCTV issued over 55,000 tickets, but only two-thirds have been paid due to disputes. A quarter have been cancelled after residents fought and won
• Tory CCTV car has made revenues of £1.6m since 2008, with £771,000 remaining after costs
• Staff have cost £421,000, the cars have cost £319,000 and fuel, maintenance and the 'uniforms' have cost £31,000
• 30 staff have left since 2008. Six were sacked, five were laid off and 19 left of their own accord
• Number of tickets issued has declined since November 2010 with only 754 tickets issued in October 2011
• The cars made equivalent to £192,000 per annum or a total profit of £771,000 profit after cost

Readers will be particularly interested to read the Council statement rushed out today indicating the 'danger's of motorists driving through the Chatham Bus Station' which has come as a response to an FoI request disclosing 'Penalty Charge Notices issued at Medway St' the fact the CCTV car has potentially made a small fortune out of catching motorists using the bus station as a cut through.

This blog welcomes enforcement of inappropriate driving but does raise serious questions about why a permanent camera was not fixed in October, and more worrying that other resources, namely the Police have been used to give out warning notices over a key period; namely Halloween and Bonfire night.

The press release states the timeline which shows why a fixed ANPR camera should have been fixed far earlier;

"For the first four weeks (between 10 October and 7 November 2011) after the bus station opened, Medway Council worked with the police to warn people rather than fine them in order to give motorists fair time to get used to the new layout. A total of 486 warning notices were given out instead of fines during this time."

This statement indicates that Police Officers, paid by you the tax payer to combat real crime, namely anti-social behaviour in my ward in Luton & Wayfield or Gillingham North were actually spending periods of time giving warnings out to drivers undertaking minor traffic offences.

Whilst I have no issue with the Police warning people, we do have traffic wardens that could do the same job. Why have Police resources, already stretched due to budget cuts, being used to in this regard?

This type of non-endorsable wrist slapping is a waste of Police resource for absolutely no gain at all. Taking into account the number of days (equivalent to 30/31 days) that is the equivalent of a cop car giving out 16 non-endorsable notices per day.

Moving on...

"Between 7 November, 2011 and 9 January this year, 962 motorists have paid fines after being issued with Penalty Charge Notices within the bus and taxi only zone in the bus station"

Now comes the crux. All residents are aware that the CCTV cars have been a declining revenue source and after reports in December, were at serious risk of being deemed decreasinly profitable to the point where the PR reputational damage would outway revenue raised.

How convenient, how terribly convenient, that the CCTV car finds a miraculous source of income for its exploits, which it is allowed to exploit for almost two months, twice the length of the Police operation, to penalise road users. In total this car would have made on my calculations £28,860 if everyone paid the £30 charge as stipulated, on the Medway Council website, and if all these PCNs were given by the vehicles.

In the press release it states that the Council has 962 notices paid but in their own FoI submission to a member of the public a total of 1786 fixed penalty notices were given. An amnesty of four weeks was given from the Police but it is still questionable tactics employed.

Despite the warm words of Conservatives indicating that CCTV car would in fact be ensuring schools and residential roads were clear of traffic the cars also spent a disproportionate of time at the bus station. One could say why move if the cash keeps flowing into the coffers...

You may remember the justification a few years ago that:

"Our CCTV cars make it safer for children by operating outside schools and help cut down on congestion by people illegally parking on roads throughout Medway."

It seems however this car was spending a lot of time not outside schools at all.

The Council have now stopped the cash cow and have

"Now permanent ANPR cameras are being put in place to stop those that continue to flout driving regulations. "

Notice the words 'are being' not 'have been'

Absolutely correct; but why did it take months of penalising the public with the CCTV car to install ANPR cameras, and when was this decision made (e.g. not today)? ANPR camera's or fixed camera's should have installed from the very start on this stretch of road or surely after Police reports; the fact they were not, and the CCTV car allowed to operate at such revenue does raise serious questions here. The timing is very co-incidental indeed.

It looks very much like, one could argue, that a previously decreasingly profitable set of vehicles, with a declining revenue stream, were seemingly allowed to rake in revenue from an area which should have been fitted with a permanent camera at the very start.

Pointing both ways; revenue generation or simply enforcement? You decide?

Of course there are a number of ways that individuals can oppose the PCNs but one very interesting spot tonight from the above. The bus symbol used on the turn 'right' side of this image is not one I have seen before. Also; I cant say I saw a lot of indications of a bus lane on the roads themselves.

This is a very suspicious state of affairs; someone somewhere needs to ask how much profit these cars made out of this failure, and why it took so long for a decision to made to place a permanent camera.

CCTV Car Review Required

CCTV Car Timeline (KM Group)

Many people reading this blog will be aware of the authors views on the Medway Conservative CCTV cars which are a law onto themselves. Symbolic of the administration, many consider it a 'white vulture', a flight of fancy, whilst others are apparently 'almost' demanding these cars on their street corners

Medway Conservatives claim there is a groundswell of support for the vehicles - yet never substantiate this - nor do they choose to mention it once on the Medway Conservative website or the Rainham Central website. So many passionate advocates that, from my recollection, it did not feature on any electoral leaflet in the local election.

I along with most people somehow find it hard to believe that there is a massive hidden majority out there who are salivating for one of these vehicles down their road, but if you believe the (Rainham) Tory spin in the press; these cars are the salvation of the Medway roads and a paragon of virtue.

Or course I am willing to be proved wrong and I am sympathetic to the argument that people want appropriate enforcement of parking and scrutiny. But sub-contracting out two vehicles to a potentially poor contractor who inflicts much reputational damage onto the Council, should and needs to be scrutinised very closely. I believe some Tories are in denial about this.

Let me explain why.

Universally despised wherever they operate these cars are seen as the physical embodiment of an overly centralist and controlling local authority. Many Conservative Councils will never introduce such schemes, and the leading campaign group Big Brother Watch, who oppose the cars, is being managed by a former Conservative PPC. Let us be clear; many authorities do have the opportunity to introduce the cars but choose not to...

And why? There is something fundamentally wrong about being caught breaking the same rules it imposes on everyone else which it does on a regular basis (see here, here, here, here, here and here) and the inequity of the fine; it has created more front page scoops than any other story added up over the last 2 years and it will continue to do immense damage to the trust of politics in Medway.

Indeed, the only positive news on the cars can be found on the Medway Council website, who have ironically awarded the vehicles several Customer Service awards. The cruel irony is that the car was awarded an award in April 2010 not because of customer support, but one month after it issued an eye-watering 2,762 tickets against residents in March 2010.

This type of public back-slapping angers the public immensely. It should.

The leading supporter of the cars is none other than Councillor O'Brien. Indeed, such a supporter that he has stated that "at every single community meeting I go to I have residents almost demanding the CCTV car."

Well if residents of Rainham are 'almost' demanding a Council spy car on every road that settles it. In fact the only (not almost) cases I get are people moaning about the inequity of the vehicles choosing to fine people in narrow terraced streets, where parking can be difficult at the best of times.

And are the cars raising important sums? The vehicle (s) has made a revenue of £770,000 over four years or £192,000 per annum. In the grand scheme of Council budgets this is pathetic sum and could be more than corrected by increasing number of actual wardens, or constant use of fixed site camera's.

The argument of course used to oppose any review is that the cars are fulfilling a service and slapping down those who are inconsiderate.

This I believe is woefully ignoring the fact that 1 in 4 of the fines is overturned on appeal and as to why only two-thirds have been paid. It would ignore the challenge tabled by many that these vehicles has been anything but professional with 30 CCTV car staff having left since 2008, of which six were sacked, five were laid off and 19 have left of their own accord. No review and we may continue with a management failure caused by inappropriate recruitment or staff training.

The Tory line that the number of tickets is reducing proves CCTV enforcement is having a positive effect is also totally unsubstantiated with fact, and actually ignores the reality for why a review is necessary

Lets just look at the Tory CCTV Car in more detail

• Tory CCTV car has issued over 55,000 tickets, but only two-thirds have been paid due to disputes. A quarter have been cancelled after residents fought and won
• Tory CCTV car has made revenues of £1.6m since 2008, with £771,000 remaining after costs
• Staff have cost £421,000, the cars have cost £319,000 and fuel, maintenance and the 'uniforms' have cost £31,000
• 30 staff have left since 2008. Six were sacked, five were laid off and 19 left of their own accord
• Number of tickets issued has declined since November 2010 with only 754 tickets issued in October 2011
• All tickets issued could be void due to 'blunders' in the paperwork

So why the review?

The above facts make a review sensible. Backbench Councillors would then be able to ask the decent and substantive questions about the operational effectiveness of the cars.

Labour have been consistently aware of the public concerns of the vehicles which is why we called for full review of them in the local election 2011. Despite protests from leading Conservative Councillors that the cars were well managed and popular the facts now stand for themselves.

At present, the Tories have refused the opposition demands for a full operational review

We know there is some sympathy in the ranks; even some Conservatives dont like them. Both Alan W Collins and leading Medway Youth Chairman (who represents only one and a half constituencies) Joe Armitage have both savaged the vehicles. With friends like those there is a small glint of light that they may reflect more widespread opinion...

It is time the CCTV car had a full review so that backbench and opposition Councillors can undertake a proper and thorough assessment, so that if appropriate we can scrap the cars when the contract expires in April 2013.

Tory CCTV Car(s) Cost

Tory CCTV Car in press again as issues of legality and profitability hit the white vulture cars

Looks like a few interesting Freedom of Information requests this month...

Please confirm the total of all drivers and operatives used for the Medway CCTV car, from the first day they were used, and up to 20 September 2011?

There have been a total of 45 members of staff involved with the operating, driving and reviewing of CCTV since it’s implementation.

Please supply the details of how much this has cost in wages over the same period above.

The cost of staff wages over the same period is estimated to be £340,000

Please supply all the fuel costs, repairs, servicing and costs of uniforms, also any other costs involving the CCTV cars, for the same period.

The associated costs involving the CCTV cars for the same period is £357,335.

Given the cars have probably made about £1.7-2.0m in revenue since they started we can actually calculate that profitability on these vehicles is miniscule when compared with other revenue streams and overall spend by the Council.

Labour were clear on the CCTV cars. A full review on these vehicles is required immediately; they should not be cash cows...

Put it into perspective - the overspend on the bus station over its original estimate comes out higher than all the revenue made by the car(s) since they launched.

Update - 7th November 2011

It now appears that the legality of the car is also in question as the Medway News exclusive reveals that the cars may have been acting illegally so potentially seing thousands of fines written off. I have asked a question of senior officers for a full brief on this issue - as yet, nothing...

Labour has consistently warned and pushed for a full review on this CCTV car and it was part of our manifesto in May 2011.

Time for CCTV Car review

This blog has been leading the charge for years that the Council CCTV cars needed to be fully reviewed and if found to be manifestly against the public interest, scrapped.

We all accept enforcement of our streets and the penalisation of incosiderate and dangerous drivers who park on double yellow lines.

But what is ironic, especially as the Council releases photos of cars on double yellow lines under the titles of inconsiderate and unsafe drivers, is that the same vehicle which is taking the photos, is presumably breaking the same highway rules in the photos it is picturing others doing. So by default you would assume, being unsafe as well.

Of course there is statute which allows the cars to park on double yellow lines, under RIPA (2000) but the public, whilst they may support the vehicles - though the evidence seen on this remains very scant, and is comprised of a series of surveys, probably unscientific and unweighted, as yet unpublished - they do not support double standards.

The Labour Group position is sensible and considered. Labour has not rushed to scrap the vehicles, which could have been the knee jerk reaction of the populist seeking a quick vote.

It has promised a full, consultative and transparent review to really find out from the public whether these vehicles ae desired and the extent of this. A full review to ascertain whether it is fair play for the cars to break the same rules it enforces and a full review on the operational conduct and revenue allocation, to ensure these cars are being used in the public interest and not the ever-so-common, profit motive.

There is a groundswell on both left and right of the political spectrum for these cars to be looked at and it is clear after press and national commentary; that the time is pressing.

Pressing because the number of vehicles may be about to increase. A question this blogger asked at full Council, which was met by an unsatisfactory response from the ruling elite.

Once again; Labour locally are leading the charge with ideas.

CCTV Car Madness

The ward case work continues to come thick and fast. Anti-social behaviour, private land lord disputes and two cases on the CCTV car.

The CCTV car continues to endear itself in popular folklore as the 'white vulture' swooping down on the innocent and breaking the same laws it seeks to enforce. A policeman who does not comply by the same rules it seeks to impose on everyone else.

Mr Olde from Dunkirk Drive is one such apparent victim. A commercial taxi driver on a job, he was loading his vehicle on single yellow lines when he was caught by the CCTV car.

Despite protestations at the time that loading and unloading of vehicles is allowed on single yellow lines as per the Highway Code, Mr Olde has now received the fine and a rather abrupt letter from the Council. The pictures, quickly taken, once again prove why a mobile vehicle is not suitable when compared to a walking traffic warden who has discretion.

The rushed pictures clearly show Mr Olde parked on single-lines but do not show any loading activity because of the speed with which the CCTV car had moved around the vehicle, to show on the face of it, a traffic offence.

Of course his position will be independently assessed by the adjudicator.

Mr Olde incidently was not parked anywhere near a school and was not parking in a way which caused danger to the public.

The CCTV car in this case shows why driving past and rushing three photos is the wrong approach to traffic management. The vehicle needs to be fully reviewed and it is time it follows the community priorities, and not the priorities of Conservative Councillors trying to raise a quick buck from the hard-pressed tax payer of Medway.

CCTV Car: Your vote counts!

Medway Labour are interested to hear your thoughts on the Medway Council CCTV Car. It is currently an issue of much debate in households across Medway and has been widely commented upon in the press.

Medway Labour are keen to know what you think, and the result will be useful in setting policy for the Labour Group going forward and potentially for the manifesto in 2011.

The options

* Positive - they do a good job and should stay
* Negative - they do a bad job and they should be scrapped
* Keep them - but review how they should operate (e.g. where they can park, offences they record)
* I have not heard of the CCTV Smart Car

Please do follow the link and vote.

Ode to the CCTV Car

Looks like the Medway Conservative CCTV Cars coming under attack...

Tory CCTV Car Anger Swells

The one-eyed 'white vulture' cars have been causing trouble amongst residents once again. There prowling and illegal antics continue to upset council tax payers across Medway, with many residents standing up against the Conservative CCTV cars which have plagued and harrassed for years.

The news that the cars have been treating residents with contempt are not new. We have had numerous examples of the cars breaking the law, from parking on double yellow lines to prowling around primary schools around the same time that parents come to drop off or pick up their children. Coincidence?

The simple fact is that Tory Councillors have planned massive increases in the amount they expect to make from the vehicles. The Council budget, passed in April, highlights starkly that they do not care at all about the plight of motorists across Medway.

Our Conservative masters in Gun Wharf are only interested in the money they can make out of previously law-abiding citizens. The morality of snooping on the same public, which also pays the Council tax rates for the vehicles are ignored.

With that in mind, the news that the all-seeing CCTV Spy Cars have issued more than 16,000 tickets in the last financial year, raking in just over £455,000 in fines from motorists must now be the final straw for many residents.

This is nothing short of a full scale Tory attack on Medway Motorists.

The stunning statistics were revealed in a report by anti-surveillance pressure group Big Brother Watch and showed that on average the authority's two camera cars penalised a combined total of 300 Medway drivers each week between April 1, 2009, and March 31 this year.

The number of tickets and overall income are both roughly four times higher than those recorded in Manchester, a city with more than 200,000 more residents.

Big Brother Watch's figures show that 54 CCTV Smart Cars, employed by 31 councils across Britain, generated more than £8 million in fines last year and fined more than £187,000 motorists.

We are now seeing residents having to take their own action to prove that the vehicle is causing distress.

One stalwart of the communuty, Bill Khan filmed the antics of the Medway Council employee who instead of offering some humility decided to argue with a member of the public for filming him at work.

The 34-year-old stalwart of the community captured the Smart car from the pavement while it was patrolling Batchelor Street, just off Chatham High Street. Mr Khan, who sent his video to the Medway Messenger, said:

"Is this how Medway Council train their employees? Not very good ambassadors for the council, are they?"

Tory controlled Medway Council said Mr Khan could not have been arrested for filming the warden, but declined to comment further.

This blog has previously commented on the CCTV car. It believes the problem stems from the very top. With arrogant and out of touch Tory Councillors in charge why are you not surprised?

Previously, Tory chief Cllr Filmer, who is in charge of the CCTV cars, happily admitted that the CCTV car parked in prohibited places about 70 per cent of the time and was above the law. He also indicated that the car "never causes an obstruction to other vehicles. It is done to ease the congestion of our towns and to provide a safer working environment. It has had a positive impact"

Make no mistake at all, the car has left a terrible legacy. Throughout its tarnished history it has merely served to highlight the total contempt of Tory Councillors towards the general public.

Last year a direct comparison was made between the illegal parking of Conservative Councillors at Gun Wharf in Disabled Parking bays (twice) vis-a-vis the fine the CCTV would have given for parking in the incorrect bays.

The CCTV car has also been spotted parking illegally outside the Conservative Party HQ in Gillingham & Rainham. The Tory group led the purchase of the despised CCTV car and has wholeheartedly supported the punitive taxation of motorists across the town by purchasing further vehicles.

Every month the press is inundated by members of the public who are sick and tired of the CCTV Car. They are tired of the car arrogantly breaking the rules and they are fed up with the insulting manner and its contempt for basic highway rules and the traffic code. There is a general groundswell of support to scrap the vehicle entirely and use the money to fund stand-alone CCTV traffic cameras outside schools, where dangerous driving could harm lives and cameras could actually save lives.

The Tories have a lamentable record on transport in Medway.

The multi-million pound two-way traffic madness in Chatham, the purchase of an unsafe Medway Tunnel which could see a Tory Toll, constant uncoordinated roadworks, disgrace around gritting during the winter months. Pothole madness in Strood and a bus station farce in Chatham which has seen the destruction of town heritage. Meanwhile we have a total lack of oversight around Arriva busses with some areas of Medway left uncovered by a basic service on Sunday's. That is not to comment on the the gerrymandering of funding for the Yellow Bus scheme and the opposition to the Freedom Bus Pass.

Next year you can make a difference and vote to kick this lot from office