The Public Prosecution Service does not want municipalities to be given broader authority to install speed cameras. “Traffic will not become safer by filling the Netherlands with speed cameras,” says chief officer of the Public Prosecution Service Traffic Package Liesbeth Schuijer in the AD, where she responds for the first time to the urgent letter from the four largest municipalities of Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Utrecht and The Hague , also known as the G4.
Last month, the G4 appealed for expanded powers regarding traffic regulation. Although the number of speed cameras will increase in the near future, the G4 cities want to be able to act more effectively against violations such as speeding. They state that they can only enforce effectively if they can decide for themselves where speed cameras are placed.
Currently, the enforcement of traffic rules, including speed cameras, is centrally regulated by the Public Prosecution Service. Government agencies, such as the police, implement this policy and are responsible for it. The Public Prosecution Service wishes to maintain this central role.
However, the Public Prosecution Service also shares the view that installing more speed cameras does not necessarily lead to safer traffic. According to Schuijer, enforcement via speed cameras is only a last resort. She emphasizes that campaigns aimed at changing the behavior of drivers and adjustments to the infrastructure are much more effective.
Schuijer explains that installing speed cameras is a complex process that must meet various technical requirements, such as good sight lines for quality photos. The road design and the risk level of a location are also examined, where consultation with the municipality is crucial to arrive at a suitable location.
Although Schuijer acknowledges that municipalities often know best where dangerous points are located, she emphasizes that consultation always takes place about the location of speed cameras. Municipalities are also involved in the analysis of risk factors at these locations, which makes them an important source of information for the Public Prosecution Service.
Although the municipality of Tilburg does not belong to the G4, it has repeatedly requested new speed cameras, which have always been rejected so far. However, Schuijer suggests that this may improve as enforcement options are expanded. She states that the range is quite extensive and that an inventory is currently taking place, which means that enforcement can be carried out at many more locations in 2026 than is currently the case. Moreover, many of these locations will meet the wishes of the municipalities.
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– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.