THREE COLLISION BLACKSPOTS in Dublin city are to have cameras installed to catch motorists running red lights, after a 2015 pilot scheme monitoring a section of the Luas red line caught 1,300 road users breaking the lights. 

In June 2015, the country’s first automated red light camera was launched at the junction of Benburb Street and Blackhall Place, which was considered a major blackspot for collisions between cars and trams.

According to the National Transport Authority, the pilot project was undertaken to establish the effectiveness of a camera-based enforcement system and to work out issues associated with operating the system for enforcement of road safety legislation.

Of the 1,300 road users detected during the 18-month trial period, prosecutions were brought against 737 of them, resulting in 624 fixed charge notices being issued.

Figures disclosed by Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan in a parliamentary response to queries about the scheme revealed that 563 of the detections were rejected for prosecution. 

Cyclists accounted for 73% of the rejections while a number could also not be pursued due to obscured or obstructed camera images, or when the vehicle’s registration wasn’t visible.

The pilot scheme ended in December 2016 but footage released by the Railway Procurement Agency at the time showed some near misses as drivers went through red lights.

A spokesperson for the National Transport Authority told TheJournal.ie that following the 18-month trial a review of the pilot installation was undertaken.  A report of the review was then considered by An Garda Síochána – which is the body enforcing the breaches of traffic legislation detected by the camera system.

An Garda Síochána have recently concluded their consideration of the pilot project performance and have written to the NTA during last month, informing us that the existing installation on Blackhall Place can now be confirmed as a permanent installation. 

The NTA said it is now arranging “the necessary maintenance and processing arrangements” for Blackhall Place cameras to continue operation. 

An Garda Síochána, in its review, recommended the installation of two more cameras in notorious blackspots in the city – one on Con Colbert Road and another on Queen Street.

The NTA could not confirm a date for the installation of the two new cameras but said it will “seek to advance these arrangements in collaboration with Dublin City Council and with An Garda Siochana”.

With reporting from Sean Murray.