FRANKIE DeGROOT | News | CONTACT

Following the overwhelmingly negative response to recent news that NSW Speed Cameras will no longer be advertised with warning signage, NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance has announced that as a compromise, NSW residents will be allowed to remove the number plates from their vehicles.

The announcement of the speed camera sign removal scheme in October followed an announcement in June that the government had taken “lower-than-expected motor traffic fines” for the 2018/19 financial year and was hoping to increase fine revenue by 25%.

At the time, NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet was quoted as saying he expected the majority of the increased revenue to come from the roads and maritime sector.

However, with a commendably straight face, NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance claimed the plan to remove the warning signage that makes people slow down and instead allow them to keep speeding in exchange for a cash payment weeks later is somehow connected to reducing the road toll.

“It’s all about saving lives and has nothing to do with the $100m+ in free cash we scored from speed cameras last year.”

At this point, Constance was unavailable for further comment as he quickly ducked behind the rostrum from which loud, snorting laughter was then heard.

However, in response to the plan being slammed as blatant revenue raising, and possibly following an epiphany where he realised he could be caught in one of his own traps, the Transport Minister has today conceded that motorists worried about excessively supporting the budget could simply remove their number plates.

“Yeah, it’s fair, I guess,” a miserable Andrew Constance said, fidgeting with a pen.

“I mean, if we are going to be sneaky, then I guess the same should be allowed from the cash cows. Motorists. Yeah, sorry, I meant to say, motorists.”