MOTORISTS in Wales are being used as a "cash cow" for the Treasury, according to the Tories. The claims came as it emerged fines from speed cameras increased almost tenfold raising more than £13m in fixed penalties. New figures released by the Welsh Assembly revealed the number of drivers caught by cameras rose from 24,100 in 1998 to 221,700 in 2002. Assuming an average penalty of £60, the huge leap in convictions is bringing in millions of extra pounds to be recycled into more speeding controls. But Welsh Conservatives criticised the speeding crack-down for alienating the public from the police. Alun Cairns, AM for South Wales West, said: "As someone who is very sorry to have picked up a motorway speeding fine, it seems that I am in good company. "These figures are staggering and clearly demonstrate that speed cameras are being used as a revenue raising source rather than an effective measure of reducing road accidents. "The Government is quite obviously using the motorist as the cash cow for the Treasury," he said. "Furthermore it is frustrating that this finance is then restricted to traffic matters rather than aiding the police in their wider responsibilities of catching muggers and burglars. "Data such as this quite often alienates the public where the police depend on goodwill in order to provide intelligence for more serious offences," Mr Cairns said. The controversial Arrive Alive campaign in North Wales claims a big reduction in road deaths. But Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom's outspoken stand against speeding drivers came in for more opposition at the conference on Friday. Former North Wales AM David Jones repeated the police chief's belief that "there is no excuse for drifting over the limit any more than there is for drifting a knife into someone". "Under his leadership of the force, speed cameras are proliferating in North Wales and speed camera fines tripled last year," he said. "The North Wales Magistrates Courts' Committee, which, wrongly I believe, is a member of the Safety Camera Partnership with the police, now has a unit dedicated to processing speeding fines." | 
