Madam, - I wish to draw attention to the impending privatisation of speed law enforcement. Several parallels can be drawn with the privatisation of parking law enforcement which occurred in Ireland several years ago.
This descended into farce when clampers began waiting beside vehicles for their time to expire or when an ambulance carrying a critically ill person was clamped in Dublin Airport.
In an identical move, the UK privatised speed law enforcement.
It is not difficult to see the huge frustration at and opposition to the system there.
The law means any citizen can set up a company and begin speed checking for profit.
A privately operated speed camera will show no discretion, it will not take into account the circumstances that a garda might consider.
The majority of lives lost on Irish roads are on rural roads carrying few cars.
A private company will have no monetary incentive to monitor these roads so, just as occurred in the UK, only the "soft touch" roads such as the M50 and N11 will be heavily laden with speed checks.
Privatising a sector of law enforcement is not the answer, it will not reduce road deaths.
It will simply serve to further frustrate and anger the drivers of Ireland.
An angrier state is not a happier one and it certainly isn't a safer one. - Yours, etc,
CONOR KELLY, Ballyroan Rd. Templeogue, Dublin 16.