Bob Hall

The Senate Transportation Committee of Texas, US, has approved a new legislation to ban the use of red light traffic cameras in Dallas and many other North Texas cities, following controversies over their use.

It is believed that the devices catch traffic violators using unmanned cameras, which have been controversial since their implementation in the early 2000 in some cities.

Opponents said the traffic cameras are revenue generating devices and do nothing to improve public safety, while they cut down the number of crashes and encourage safe driving, according to police from officials from Denton, Grand Prairie, Plano and elsewhere.

Senator Bob Hall of Edgewood said that it is up to the legislature to protect the rights as well as the safety of Texans.

"Continuing to allow the unfettered existence of unmanned, automated traffic cameras is an abdication of both of these responsibilities."

Hall said: "Continuing to allow the unfettered existence of unmanned, automated traffic cameras is an abdication of both of these responsibilities."

The bill SB 714 is set to go to the full US Senate for consideration.

Bob Hall’s latest proposal is expected to ban cities from implementing red-light camera programmes and would target existing programmes through a new clause, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Under the clause, cities can operate these systems only until their respective contracts with camera vendors come to an end.

The US Senate Transportation Committee said that revenue from traffic cameras is supposed to flow to trauma care centres to offset the uninsured care cost.

During the current fiscal year, traffic cameras have allowed police departments to issue more than $16m in fines, according to the Comptroller’s office.

Image: Senator Bob Hall sponsored the bill to ban the use of red light cameras. Photo: courtesy of the Senate Transportation Committee of Texas.