OVERKILL: This mobile speed camera was stationed
not far from a fixed speed camera on the Nicklin Way.
POLICE have been accused of double-dipping after a speed van was deployed 100m from a fixed speed camera to catch unsuspecting motorists.
The van was stationed on Nicklin Way at Warana on the Sunshine Coast last week, in front of a fixed camera introduced in February.
Police have confirmed they rotate speed vans to sites within metres of the Sunshine Coast's two fixed speed cameras.
The camera on the Sunshine Motorway near Mountain Creek is shouldered by two speed van deployment sites, about 800m in either direction.
While Gold Coast police say they don't double up with speed vans near the two fixed cameras on the Gold Coast Highway, Inspector Darren Soppa said police targeted those areas with hand-held radars.
"People know where the fixed cameras are and slow down and speed up," he said.
"Sometimes we do tactical deployment for that purpose."
The practice has been branded double-dipping by National Motorists Association Australia spokesman Michael Lane.
"It's not legitimate to be given two tickets for the one offence, that is beyond the pale," Mr Lane said.
However police said it was unlikely motorists would be issued two fines.
Four speedsters were detected by the van at Warana on Thursday.
Camera system still not in use
QUEENSLAND'S first point-to-point speed camera system is still unoperational despite being installed in March.
The cameras on the Bruce Highway between Wild Horse Mountain and the Caloundra turn-off were announced as part of an arsenal of new measures in the State Government's road safety plan.
The system captures digital images of all passing vehicles and calculates the speed travelled over the distance between two points.
However, police are still testing the technology to avoid a repeat of the debacle in which 1100 speeding drivers caught by new digital cameras in the Clem7 tunnel had to be let off.
A police spokeswoman said there was no set date to begin operation.
"Full testing and acceptance processes must be completed before any cameras can be used for enforcement action," she said.
