New speed cameras by the airport

OK so it seems the ROP are suffering from Gordon Brown's misplaced belief that Speed Cameras are the answer to slowing people down on the roads. They appear to be testing 3 new speed camera's at the moment, two completely new models, and one is the blue Dubai-style lollipop one. It is understood that all of these devices will still continue to capture from the rear, but the two new style camera's appear to have devices that measure your speed over a certain area, and will still flash if it decides you were going too fast. I'd like to see that one in practice, as evidence needs to be given - I'd imagine only image or video can suffice, yet the camera only points one way (so it cant record you coming).

I was out with a friend to try and capture images of these new cameras, but the new "bird house" one we were unable to get a picture of, thankfully the kind people at omania2.net were.

So here are the pics:

1. The original Style:


2. The Dubai Lollipop style:


3. The new floor-mounted style:


4. The new birdhouse style (credit to Omania2):



And then, as if to proove a point that these speed radar's are not the fool-proof solution that so many people think them to be, we saw this:


There's a foot-bridge going over the highway, and what is that, right there, under the foot bridge? Oh thats just someone too lazy to use the bridge, so decides to cross the highway by jay-walking. People like that need to be fined and arrested, because they cause a lot of accidents to.

So it looks like the ROP are taking a step in the right direction with these trials of new speed traps. I'd imagine the older ones will be re-allocated to other roads within the Sultanate. Perhaps the road from Nizwa to Thumrait? Or perhaps on a few roads here in town? 18th November could be a lucrative prospect for the ROP!

Ramadahn looks like it's going to be called this Friday or Saturday, and so the carnage will begin. I will be keeping a week-daily tally on the accidents I see on the stretch of road between Wizarat round about and the start of 18th November street. I'm predicting over 40 vehicles will be damaged in accidents in that one area alone.

Have a nice weekend everyone.

le fin
New speed cameras by the airport New speed cameras by the airport Reviewed by Sythe on Wednesday, August 19, 2009 Rating: 5

8 comments:

  1. Didn't take very long to find you Sythe ;)
    and by the looks of it you have far too much time on your hands!
    I hadn't spotted the birdhouse, but noticed them installing the others going home yesterday, yet another reason to take the coast road.

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  2. re-allocate? PUHLEEZ! This is not some re-allocation wonderland, we'll buy all new and rip out the old ones. I bet there's a radar cemetary (read dumpground) somewhere around Rusayl!

    Please please please don't wish for speed traps on the road from Nizwa to Thumrayt. It's darwinism at work, let natural selection take place :)

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  3. The most important question is: are these any harder to evade when compared to the old ones?

    -Omani in US

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  4. Apparently they are - when installed properly. There has been speculation that the new generation cameras work in a network, they remember numberplates and if it see's a numberplate at it's next network node (camera) it will know that the average speed of the vehicle was over a set limit, and flash you regardless of the speed you are doing at the time of going past the camera. It's only speculation so far, time will tell.

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  5. Sythe,

    That sounds absurdly-advanced for Oman. That's a lot of data having to be transfered at fast speeds, all in real time to boot.

    What a load of spoilsports the authorities are. Hopefully someone comes up with some way to evade them before I show up on holiday. I'd also love to know if indeed the system is set up as you've heard. I remain sceptical.

    -Omani in US

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  6. Boxter - yes I know, but there's no reason why these cant be reallocated. Maybe that it's Darwinism at work on that stretch of road, for the driver that causes the accident, but its for the poor sod's that get driven in-to that I worry for.

    James - nice holiday write-up

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  7. i suggest you all invest in speed camera detectors, there are quite a few good ones!

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  8. Speed radars are about income not slowing people down.

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