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A COUPLE says they have been slapped with over $1,500 in speeding tickets following the installation of several new speed cameras along a major route.
Drivers living in Center Point, Alabama, have been left fuming in recent months after being hit with huge fines – with the local Mayor claiming the city doesn’t decide on the size of the fee.
Drivers are being caught out by new cameras along a major route in Centerpoint, Alabama[/caption]
These speeding fines have left motorists in the area fuming[/caption]
According to Center Point Mayor Bobby Scott, the cameras have been installed to deter speeding in school zones and have been operational for a few months.
However, he says that the ticket prices aren’t the decision of the city and are instead determined by a private company that operates the traffic cameras.
One local resident, Fran Brown, revealed to WBRC that she and her husband have been hit with five tickets in total – each costing around $270 – amounting to over $1,500.
She said: “To me, that is a speed trap, and that is an entrapment.”
She’s also convinced the punishment doesn’t fit the crime, adding: “If we’re guilty of the crime, fine. But the numbers just aren’t adding up.
“I’ve had speeding tickets – excessive speeding tickets – on interstates, and it was never $270.”
But Mayor Scott implores locals with multiple tickets, such as Brown, to reach out to authorities and work out a compromise.
He said: “I am a mayor of second chances.
“So I would appreciate it if people, if they have multiple tickets where they didn’t know the cameras were there and they got a bunch of tickets at one time, reach out to us and maybe we can help resolve some of that and you don’t have to pay so much money.”
Brown says the lack of transparency surrounding the process is a major concern for her.
She said: “Just be transparent.
“Let people know what’s going on, let people know what to expect, and make it legal.
“If it’s legal, we can find it in black and white on city documents.”
She added that part of the confusion around the fine is the fine print, which states the tickets won’t impact a driver’s license or insurance.
What’s more, when she said she attempted to pay the fines, she was told she could pay whatever amount she wanted.
Brown added: “There are no ramifications.
“How much you pay, when you pay – it’s not clear. It feels like this was thrown together to bring in money for the city.”
Mayor Scott says the revenue generated by the traffic cameras goes toward public safety initiatives in Center Point.
However, he did not provide exact figures.
