Motorist fined $2710 after sneaky camera on one of Australia’s busiest roads – Sydney’s M4 Motorway – catches hundreds of drivers speeding through ‘nightmare’ speed limit zone

EXCLUSIVE

An irate motorist fined $2,710 has lashed out at a 'confusing' speed sign after being caught on camera driving 12mph over the limit.

Fayaz Khan was driving through the M4 East Tunnel when the speed camera caught him traveling at 40mph in a temporary 25mph zone at around 7pm on November 15.

Mr Khan was one of hundreds of motorists forced to slow on the highway that night after a car broke down in the left lane of eastbound traffic towards Croydon, in Sydney's west.

The speed limit, which is typically 80 km/h, was lowered to allow vehicle movement and traffic to converge safely in the center and right lanes.

Mr Khan told Daily Mail Australia the 40km/h zone was enforced for more than a kilometer after cars passed the broken down hatchback being towed by two trucks.

Dozens of drivers, including Mr Khan, accelerated safely after passing the obstacle, thinking they were safe – only to be hit with hefty fines just days later.

“They were only towing one little car… but when [drivers] drove by [the tow trucks]the 40 mark [was left] on until after the [speed] cameras,” he said.

“We slowed down to 60 and then to 40 before the incident, and once we got past the incident the 40 stopped [zone] should have been abolished.'

Images from the digital speed camera mounted in the tunnel show motorists driving slower in the center and right lanes, while trucks are parked in the left lane.

A large rectangular sign can be seen with flashing yellow lights telling motorists to merge slowly to the right.

Mr Khan said it was 'unnecessary' for the 40km/h zone to be extended far beyond the location of the incident..

“If you go past the incident, you automatically accelerate… you're gone,” he added.

Mr Khan claims that the dozens of drivers ahead of him at the time would also have been fined because they also accelerated as soon as they passed the broken down car.

He was given until December 21 to nominate a driver and pay the fine or risk paying the full amount.

Mr Khan, who runs a car rental company, was driving a white Audi sedan which was a registered rental car at the time he was ticketed for speeding.

He was charged five times the normal amount because he was driving a car registered to a company at the time of the alleged crime.

A spokesperson for Revenue NSW told Daily Mail Australia that drivers ticketed for speeding in a commercial vehicle can have their fine reduced to $702 by nominating a driver.

Mr Khan said he had not appointed a driver – even though he was driving the vehicle – because he planned to challenge the fine in court.

He uploaded a post on Facebook saying he would consider joining other drivers who were also fined in a class action.

He criticized variable speed limits in the M4 East Tunnel, which he said are frustrating for motorists and can lead to collisions.

'When you drive [on the] M4 as you approach Parramatta the speed changes three times,” he said.

“You don't want to cause any accidents… that's what this is [variable speed limit] do.'

Several motorists have recently been hit with hefty fines while driving through the tunnel, without knowing they had been clocked above the variable speed limit.

A week after Mr Khan was fined for the alleged offence, his friend was fined for a similar offense after he was caught driving 56km/h in a 40km zone in the tunnel.

An Uber driver was fined $481 after driving 45mph in the same zone in 2019, with the offense carrying a loss of four demerit points.

The driver claimed the speed limit was suddenly reduced to 25 miles as he took the Croydon exit.

A spokesperson for Transport for NSW told Daily Mail Australia that several signs had been placed along the highway to warn motorists of changes to speed limits.

“Transport for NSW has taken steps to ensure motorists are aware that variable speed limits are enforced in the tunnels, through the use of advisory signs such as 'Speed ​​Camera Further Down Tunnel' and 'Variable Speed ​​Limit Enforced',” the said. spokesman.

'[There are also] illuminated electronic variable speed limit signs that display the current speed limit throughout the tunnels.'

Motorists must slow down to 40km/h when passing tow trucks or emergency vehicles for speed limits of 80km/h or less on roads in NSW.

Variable speed limit signs are installed in tunnels and highways to ensure that motorists can adapt to changing traffic conditions.

These speed limits are displayed via electronic signs with the speed limit in a red circle.

Drivers caught driving more than 12 miles over the limit face a $542 fine.

The latest figures from Revenue NSW show more than 4,800 fines have been issued to motorists caught speeding in the eastbound M4 East Tunnel, totaling more than $2.3 million.

More than 2,400 drivers were fined in August, amounting to approximately $1.3 million.

Drivers in NSW can be fined up to $2,794 if they drive 45km/h or more on NSW roads, including tunnels and highways.

The M4 East Tunnel is part of the $16.8 billion WestConnex road and tunnel project, introduced by the NSW Government to reduce traffic from Sydney's west to the east.

The tunnel, which opened in July 2019, connects the M4 in Sydney's west, including Parramatta, to the city's east, saving motorists more than half an hour in travel time.

The final phase of WestConnex was unveiled last month when the Rozelle interchange opened to commuters connecting the M4 to the Anzac Bridge and the M8 to the City West Link and Victoria Road.