Eagle-eyed motorists went wild after a mobile speed camera was spotted in the back of an unmarked ute on a busy highway.
A photo of the nondescript Isuzu ute parked on the side of a highway in South Australia angered motorists last week.
The ute was not fitted with police signs and appeared to have speed detection equipment in the boot, as seen in a photo shared on social media.
Many suggested it was nothing more than a revenue raising exercise by the SA Police (SAPOL).
“Beware everyone in Adelaide, the South African government will no longer be using vans for their speed cameras,” one user wrote.
“It looks like they’re starting to use utes now too.”
“I feel sorry for the poor civil servants who sit in the back of the Ute for hours generating revenue for the government,” wrote another.
“Nothing at all about reducing accidents and everything about generating revenue,” a third commented on the photo.
A photo of a nondescript Isuzu ute (pictured) parked on the side of a major highway in South Australia drew the ire of Australian drivers after it was shared on social media last week
‘They spend so much money on bringing in revenue, why don’t they spend it on actually helping ‘new’ road users learn the traffic rules?’ said a fourth.
‘This is not about prevention, but about income!’
“Otherwise they would use branded vehicles,” agreed another.
Some Australians defended the camera, suggesting it kept drivers safe.
“If you have the right speed, you don’t have to pay attention to it,” one user commented.
“They can hide anything they want, so the motto is: no speed, no problems,” wrote another.
Fines for drivers in South Africa caught by a speed camera can range from $202 for driving less than 10km/h over the limit, to around $1,900 for 45km/h or more.
All revenue from red light and speed camera fines in South Australia is reinvested into road safety initiatives.
Fines for drivers in South Africa caught by a speed camera can range from $202 for driving less than 10km/h over the limit, to around $1,900 for 45km/h or more (photo, a camera in Brisbane)
A spokesperson for SAPOL told Daily Mail Australia: ‘SAPOL uses a number of methods to monitor speed and driving behavior on our roads, including overt and covert mobile speed cameras, fixed speed/red light cameras and mobile phone detection cameras.’
‘Mobile speed detection equipment can be mounted in or on a vehicle, or placed on a tripod at the side of the road. Vehicles are not marked.
‘Since the retirement of the Holden brand in Australia, SAPOL’s fleet now includes a variety of makes and models, which are tested to ensure they are suitable for use within South Africa.’