Drivers in New South Wales have been fined more than $73 million in a year for mobile phone offences, after the introduction of new portable cameras.
But some A Current Affair viewers claim they’ve been stung for holding other items too.
Stephen Howie was on his way home from work when he drove past one of the cameras and received a fine for a photo that showed his mobile phone in its cradle and apparently a wallet in his hand.
“This is bogus. This shouldn’t be happening. Technology obviously isn’t up to scratch and it doesn’t work,” Mr Howie said.
“It’s just a money grabbing thing … and most people would just pay it.”
The 49-year-old sign writer said it’s the second time he’s been fined for holding his wallet while driving.
In September last year he got off on review – this time he said the state government has insisted he pay up or go to court.
“I’ve been told it can’t go any further or go to court and I work for myself, I’d lose a days work which is a lot to fight something that I shouldn’t be fighting,” he said.
“Most people won’t bother. They feel intimated and they’ll just pay the fine.”
“They’ve openly said they’re mobile phone detection cameras, not wallet holding cameras or soft drink holding cameras.
Mr Howie questioned how the fine was authorised by Revenue NSW, which involved a two-step authentication.
“A human verifies it and in the appeal process a human verifies it again,” he said.
Zubair Ghalzai also copped a $349 fine and five demerit points – for a journey in March this year.
He said the “phone” he’s been fined over is in fact a cap.
“How come it’s three times bigger than my hand?” Mr Ghalzai asked.
“I knew straight away that it’s not a mobile phone.”
The food truck owner from Adelaide said he was travelling to be with family in Sydney, while his father was in hospital fighting for life.
“You can’t have your cap on for 16 or 17 hours … it’s about 16 or 17 hour drive from here to Sydney, so every now and then I take it off and put it back on just to relax my head.”
Mr Ghalzai and Mr Howie contacted A Current Affair after our story on Steff Doney’s fine.
The mother-of-two claimed she was scratching her face, but the only way to get out of the fine was to head to court.
Revenue NSW back-flipped and cancelled her fine.
Since the introduction of the portable cameras in March last year, drivers in New South Wales have been fined a whopping $73,065,052 in 12 months, up from 8,020,354 the year before.
Bernard Carlon from the Centre for Road Safety has argued the cameras are reducing mobile phone use.
“About one in 82 people during the trial period were seen to be offending and holding their mobile phone and that’s now down to less than one in 400,” Mr Carlon said.
“170,000 fines have been paid around 1000 have been withdrawn during that period.”
Since we interviewed Mr Ghalzai and Mr Howie – their fines have been revoked.
Source: 9news.com.au
