Speed camera van in 'illegal parking' shocker
Date: 21 November 2007
A speed camera van was spotted parked up on a grass verge, where it would probably be illegal for a courier van to park.
A motorist was so enraged to see the van, which was equipped with a speed camera, on the grass bank in Boldon Colliery that he was moved to take a picture of it and send it to the Sunderland Echo.
He also claimed that his view of the road was obstructed by the van, and suggested that it was hypocritical for a road law enforcement vehicle to be flouting rules that would apply to courier vans and others.
He said: "After having had several days of rainfall, the grass verge along Hedworth Lane is quite soft, thus not being suitable for driving vehicles on, without causing surface damage.
"If I park my vehicle on the same piece of land is it legal? If the siting of the vehicle was not legal, then what about the vehicles that were caught on that same camera?"
However, an official from Safe Speed for Life, which co-ordinates road safety in the area, said the van was not illegally parked.
"Case law and legislation declared that certain vehicles can infringe local traffic laws if it's in aid of public safety," he said. "That applies to council vehicles carrying out repairs, emergency services, and safety cameras."
However, this is likely to anger courier drivers who do their best to abide by traffic laws but are hounded by excessive regulation.
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