The Transport Authority this moring defended the introduction of speed cameras and the speed limits that are being imposed.

Reacting to a statement issued yesterday by the GRTU, the Authority said the speed limits recommended for the locations where speed cameras are envisaged are based on road safety criteria with the aim of reducing road accidents and their severity. They are based on international standards such as the United Kingdom’s Department of Transport Guidance Document related to speed camera applications.

The Authority observed that the GRTU had complained of unnecessary expense to distributors and other transport professionals who use the roads regularly. It said that the Motor Vehicle Regulations stated that minibuses, motor omni-buses, goods vehicles up to 3 tonnes, good vehicles over 3 tonnes, industrial and agricultural vehicles and towing vehicles have a maximum speed not exceeding 60km/hr outside towns. Hence, the 60km/hr speed limit established for the roads where speed cameras were envisaged did not affect them in any way.

The Authority gave the following statistics of accidents where speed cameras were introduced over the past three years:

"Our duty is to ensure the safety of law abiding drivers, passengers, pedestrians and all users of our roads. None of these will be paying anything as a result of the introduction of speed cameras but all will enjoy greater safety and a reduced incidence of accidents and risk of being harmed or killed," the ADT said.

Meanwhile, the Roads Ministry in a statement yesterday said the setting of speed limits was the competence of technical experts and it did not interfere in the matter.