I’ve just read a wonderful insightful and witty letter by a Steve Melia in Local Transport Today…

” Inspired by Philip Hammond’s launch of the consultation on motorway speed limits, and the successful campaign by motorists’ groups against speed camera, I am pleased to announce the formation of a new organisation: the Campaign for Ethical Looting.

We believe in the principle of policing by consent. Through history, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the recent riots in British cities, a substantial proportion of the population has always responded to social crisis by looting. If significant proportions of the population routinely break a particular law, we believe it is the law that needs reform. Instead of criminalising looters, we believe a more effective strategy would focus on education: highlighting opportunities for targeted looting to make a positive contribution to a more just society; bankers, arms dealers, rail rolling stock companies, etc.

Above all, we will campaign for the removal of CCTV camera in town centre and shopping malls, which criminalise otherwise law-abiding citizens, and whose real objective has little to do with crime prevention and everything to do with raising revenue for the Treasury.”

Speed cameras – especially average speed cameras – enforce the law see people reduce speeds and save lives. Higher speeds on motorways will see more deaths and injuries as well as more CO2 produced. These are the dark side of the national coalition with ministers cocooned from the impacts in their chauffeur driven cars.