Gatso Van Is Currently Located at....

Zzippy

bazjnr wrote: »

Don't be so pedantic Zzippy! Perhaps I should have said bank holidays times occur over the transitionary period of one month ENDING and another month beginning... such as First Monday in May, first in June, first in August. 1st of January. And your mates would want to grow a backbone if they are buckling under pressure from superiors to get more speeding detections (fines).

I wasn't being pedantic, I was pointing out a serious flaw in your argument. Come on, you can put your hand up when you're wrong, can't you...

And let me guess, when a superior officer tells you to do something, you and your backbone tell him where to get off, right? :rolleyes:

bazjnr

Zzippy wrote: »

I wasn't being pedantic, I was pointing out a serious flaw in your argument. Come on, you can put your hand up when you're wrong, can't you...

I certainly can put my arm up when i'm wrong and its on the end of a long arm!

Zzippy wrote: »

And let me guess, when a superior officer tells you to do something, you and your backbone tell him where to get off, right? :rolleyes:

No i smile and nod and let him think he is great but then i just carry on as normal. I carry out my job in a grown up and proportionate and I would like to think fair manner in dealings I have with drivers. i'm not one of those people who think it is right to screw members of the public just to massage a super's ego- I don't get any extra money for it and I certainly don't get any thanks for it.

He will get the return he gets- nothing more. I know some of them may try to intimidate, and try to intimidate junior Gardai especially, but until a Guard's power of discretion is taken away there is not alot they can do.:D

KevR

bazjnr wrote: »

Of course you are entitled to be interested in speed enforcement you spend a substantial part of your daily life on the road which makes me wonder that if you believe that the positioning of that van is such a threat to safety why don't you express your opinion to the appropriate authorities such as the Gardai or Road Safety Authority? Perhaps you have?

I might write to the Gardai about it. I won't bother with the RSA, I have written to them about various issues and they didn't even respond to some of my communications to them. The times they have responded, their responses have been poor to say the least (basically side stepping the issue I raised everytime). I don't really see the RSA as a serious organisation.

I have also written to Galway and Roscommon County Councils about changing speed limits which are either too high or too low. I've never had a response from either of them.

If there was a complete overhaul of speed limits (some need to be increased and others decreased) I would be in favour of a lot more speed enforcement.

gary82

I don't mind where they put them up... if you're not breaking the law by going over the speed limit then it should not be a problem! Stay within the limits and speed cameras wont be an issue. :rolleyes:

Bosco boy

I'm all for the gatso van collecting revenue, the country is shagged and if they can collect more revenue from assholes who drive around like plikes then I think thats a fair tax for a change, and if some fool like me gets caught once in a while (like I did in the past) then he/she should know better next time, and it may just save a few lives also!!!!!! no sympathy here folks!!!!!!! :D:D

Zzippy

Bosco boy wrote: »

I'm all for the gatso van collecting revenue, the country is shagged and if they can collect more revenue from assholes who drive around like plikes then I think thats a fair tax for a change, and if some fool like me gets caught once in a while (like I did in the past) then he/she should know better next time, and it may just save a few lives also!!!!!! no sympathy here folks!!!!!!! :D:D

What's a plike?

gary82

Zzippy wrote: »

What's a plike?

It's a pike with an l plate on!

Madame Razz

I believe 'plike' is a bastardised english version of the irish word for 'egghead' or 'idiot' or 'gimp'....pleice...or something like that... I have munster Irish so I await the lynch mob

?Cee?view

bazjnr wrote: »

... but until a Guard's power of discretion is taken away ...

That's exactly the issue. One of the problems I have with Gatso is that its use is taking away the individual Garda's power of discretion. In the UK, where various types of camera are extensively used, the argument has been made that their use has resulted in less Police being recruited. In a way, Gardai supporting Gatso is a bit like turkeys voting for Christmas!

In Kerry some months ago, I was stopped by a Traffic Corps car doing 126 in a 100 zone. He commented that he'd seen my overtaking (two or three overtakes), but he also noted that on a long straight stretch I was careful only to overtake where there wasn't a solid white line. So he acknowledged that my lane discipline, indicating etc. was perfect and for this reason (and that I've no penalty points - touch wood:)) he used his discretion to let me off, with a deserved ticking off. A Gatso would have done me, maybe deservedly some might argue, plain and simple.

But what if in the above scenario, I was rushing someone ill to hospital, or I was medical doctor travelling to an accident? A gatso would nail the driver. A garda would (hopefully) use his/her discretion.

So, why would individual members of the Gardai support Gatso? Doesn't make sense to me.

Zzippy

churchview wrote: »

So, why would individual members of the Gardai support Gatso? Doesn't make sense to me.

Less time on a hard shoulder holding a hairdryer and more time in the station holding a mug of tea!

Webbs

Jeez its a good job most of the posters on here dont live in the UK or they would blow a gasket at the number of fixed cameras, mobile cameras and now average speed cameras.
There are way too many cameras in the UK and they are most definitely there as revenue generating tools. However, it would be interesting to see any figures for accidents due to speeding comparing the UK to Ireland, my guess is there are fewer accidents in the UK than Ireland.

kodute

bazjnr wrote: »

You would assume he would know what he is talking about wouldn't you.....!!!!! There are NO monthly targets!!!!

"The Garda policing plan for 2008 aims to increase by 10% in the course of the year detection of speeding"
From here: http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0647/D.0647.200802130031.html

I understand what your saying about no monthly targets but if you are told to find 10% more of something than you have found before, one of 2 things will happen:

1. You do 10% more work to catch them
2. The 10% you used to let away under "discretion" will no longer be let away.

There are targets in every job, just sometimes they are called something else by clueless politicians.


Also any argument claiming that cameras are revenue generating tend to fizzle out when you do the math.
200,000 speeding detections in 2007
@€;80 fine each (Im gonna go wild and assume 100% conviction rate )
= €16m
The garda overtime bill for this year should be around €80m

soundbyte

Madame Razz wrote: »

I believe 'plike' is a bastardised english version of the irish word for 'egghead' or 'idiot' or 'gimp'....pleice...or something like that... I have munster Irish so I await the lynch mob

Pleidhc ... it means the same as amadán or ludramán.

Madame Razz

soundbyte wrote: »

Pleidhc ... it means the same as amadán or ludramán.

Well I did try:rolleyes:

?Cee?view

kodute wrote: »

Also any argument claiming that cameras are revenue generating tend to fizzle out when you do the math.
200,000 speeding detections in 2007
@€;80 fine each (Im gonna go wild and assume 100% conviction rate )
= €16m
The garda overtime bill for this year should be around €80m

Sorry, but you're not making sense here. By your own calculation, speeding detections have generated 16 million - that's revenue generated.

The fact that another aspect of policing (i.e. overtime) costs 80 million doesn't change the fact that the 16 million of revenue has been generated.

Bosco boy

Madame Razz wrote: »

I believe 'plike' is a bastardised english version of the irish word for 'egghead' or 'idiot' or 'gimp'....pleice...or something like that... I have munster Irish so I await the lynch mob [/quote

Thats exactly what a plike is, thanks Madame Razz

kodute

churchview wrote: »

Sorry, but you're not making sense here. By your own calculation, speeding detections have generated 16 million - that's revenue generated.

The fact that another aspect of policing (i.e. overtime) costs 80 million doesn't change the fact that the 16 million of revenue has been generated.

Yes 16million was generated... chump change in the scheme of things. That wouldn't bail out even one property developer!

Thats why they are outsourcing the contracts for the private speed cameras. A private company will be able to make significant revenue from these in a way the govt cant.

bazjnr

churchview wrote: »

But what if in the above scenario, I was rushing someone ill to hospital, or I was medical doctor travelling to an accident? A gatso would nail the driver. A garda would (hopefully) use his/her discretion.

If it was a medical emergency you can simply appeal it outlining the circumstances and have it quashed by the Local Suprintendent. Now if it was a privately run speed camera i think you wouldn't stand a chance.

churchview wrote: »

So, why would individual members of the Gardai support Gatso? Doesn't make sense to me.

Gatso/ROBOT speed vans are such a minor part of speed enforcement or traffic work for Gardai it is almost negligible so the use of them doesn't really affect Gardai.

kodute wrote: »

"The Garda policing plan for 2008 aims to increase by 10% in the course of the year detection of speeding"
From here: http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0647/D.0647.200802130031.html

I understand what your saying about no monthly targets but if you are told to find 10% more of something than you have found before, one of 2 things will happen:

1. You do 10% more work to catch them
2. The 10% you used to let away under "discretion" will no longer be let away.

There are targets in every job, just sometimes they are called something else by clueless politicians.

You are correct. I think your first option is what would happen rather than doing away with discretion.

As you pointed out the 10% increase is over the year. I was only emphasising the 'no monthly target' point because of earlier posts regarding only seeing Guards at the end of the month shooting fish in a barrel to attain their mythical monthly quota.

churchview wrote: »

Sorry, but you're not making sense here. By your own calculation, speeding detections have generated 16 million - that's revenue generated.

The fact that another aspect of policing (i.e. overtime) costs 80 million doesn't change the fact that the 16 million of revenue has been generated.

Plus comparing the two is not relevant as all that money generated by speeding detections and all other fines are returned to the central exchequer and are not used or ever seen in the Garda budget. You might as well compare it to overtime in the HSE.

Madame Razz wrote: »

I believe 'plike' is a bastardised english version of the irish word for 'egghead' or 'idiot' or 'gimp'....pleice...or something like that... I have munster Irish so I await the lynch mob

No that was my understanding of it too!

kodute

bazjnr wrote: »

Plus comparing the two is not relevant as all that money generated by speeding detections and all other fines are returned to the central exchequer and are not used or ever seen in the Garda budget. You might as well compare it to overtime in the HSE.

Yes I admit it was like comparing apples to oranges, I was trying to emphasize the point that this revenue is paltry in comparison to other operational figures for the Gardai.
I don't have the figures for the entire cost of the gatso vans... don't suppose you could supply them so we could get a cost benefit analysis going?!

bazjnr

kodute wrote: »

I don't have the figures for the entire cost of the gatso vans... don't suppose you could supply them so we could get a cost benefit analysis going?!

I'll get my people onto it!!

Sponge Bob

It is a Long Wheel Base High very squared off roof and very white Ford Transit , 08 D 51528 or 08 D 515nn coz I was trying not to stare as I slowly crept past it

gd1987

It was sitting under the bridge on the oranmore dual carriageway this morning at 10 o'clock. On the side heading for oranmore. Must have saved at least a dozen lives.

lukiej

probably not the same van but it caught me in tuam a few weeks back on the miltown road. €80 fine and 2 penalty points. had picture of my number plate on the letter and all..sickenin.

fergiesfolly

bothar na dtreabh (dual carriage way between Tuam and Headford Rds)

Sponge Bob

It was the same van Lukie I hate to tell you. It normally hangs around in 30 zones that should be 40mph zones like the northern approach to Tuam and the Sandyvale-Tuam Rd strip .

Furthermore it is very likely to be out and about on wet days unlike its human predecessors who never came out when it rained but it cannot catch cars close together in rain ( except for the poor fecker in front) .

teepee

12.10 pm dual carriage way between Tuam and Headford Rds , a car was parked up beside it probley delivering a supemacs :rolleyes:

galwayrush

teepee wrote: »

12.10 pm dual carriage way between Tuam and Headford Rds , a car was parked up beside it probley delivering a supemacs :rolleyes:

Ahh, the softest target of all,

galwayrush

gd1987 wrote: »

It was sitting under the bridge on the oranmore dual carriageway this morning at 10 o'clock. On the side heading for oranmore. Must have saved at least a dozen lives.

Yeah, our politicians would starve without the money being stolen from us to pay their expenses/:(