Smarts equipped with CCTV raised more than £8 million in parking fines for local councils, new research has revealed.
Campaign group Big Brother Watch claims the 54 cars operated by 31 local councils in Britain caught and fined more than 188,000 illegally parked motorists between April 2009 and March 2010.
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Many councils lease the cars from parking contracts and Big Brother Watch is concerned the cars are used only to generate funds and not to increase road safety. The group also called on the coalition government to clamp down on their use.
Dylan Sharpe, the group’s campaign director, said, “The CCTV Smart car represents a very dangerous escalation in Britain's surveillance society. The vehicles are sent out to catch people and make money, with road safety only an afterthought.
“It is surely only a matter of time before more councils start using these cars. The coalition government must act now and prevent that from happening."
