Vandalised surveillance camera on Aussie road goes viral – but here's the truth
Road authorities across Australia are utilising a futuristic-looking weapon in their artillery against bad drivers.
Just days after a mysterious traffic device on the side of a Melbourne road was spotted spying on drivers, another photo has emerged of a similar machine after someone clearly took umbrage with its existence.
Drivers were left stumped after images circulated of the futuristic-looking device, known as a traffic enforcement trailer which purports to have vandalism protection measures. The machine, made by a company called Vitrionic, is being used as part of a trial by private company Serco which provides an array of services across defence, transport, healthcare and justice.
Another version of the same traffic-monitoring trailer is seen covered in what appears to be red spray paint, blocking the view of cameras inside.
The image was shared widely on social media over the weekend however it appears to be an old photo with Serco revealing the truth behind the viral image of the defaced device to Yahoo News Australia, explaining the device spotted last week is not the same one that was covered in red paint.
"The attached photo is an old image and the device you reported on last week has not been vandalised," a spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia.
It's understood the image in question was taken in Midland, Western Australia. WA Police have been using the contraption as far back as 2018.
The machine, called ALICE which stands for Autonomous Lidar Concept for Enforcement (ALICE), was trialled in 47 locations across the state and was rolled out further after it detected more than 11,000 speeding incidents, or an average of 234 offences every time it was used.
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According to Vitronic's website, the machines provide "flexible traffic enforcement at accident hotspots and remote hard-to-see measuring points".
It can recognise licence plates, record driver speeds and even enforce tolls. They can operate independently for up to 10 days and claim to have vandalism protection measures, although it's unclear what that means.
Serco tight-lipped over Melbourne roadside camera trial
When contacted by Yahoo, Serco remained tight-lipped about exactly what the camera system spotted last week was monitoring at the Melbourne site but said it would be used in various locations around the city.
"Serco is testing innovative ways to improve road safety outcomes. We are currently trialling different mobile and trailer road safety camera technologies," a company spokesperson said.
"The trailer will be deployed in various existing and approved mobile road safety camera locations throughout September 2024."
The company confirmed no fines will be issued to drivers during the current trial period.
Amid rising road death tolls, states and territories across the country are rolling out fleets of new portable roadside cameras with increased capabilities to catch drivers for a myriad of road offences. This contraption could just be the latest potential addition.
But many road users are being fed up with having to cough up huge sums in fines for traffic offences, taking drastic measures to fight back such as lighting them on fire. Road users have been warned that ongoing suspected arson attacks not only inflict costly damage to cameras but also threaten bushfires.
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