Drivers stumped by bizarre roadside surveillance camera spotted on Aussie road
Amid an ongoing crackdown on offending drivers being carried out by road authorities across Australia, there appears to be a new weapon.
A bizarre device spotted watching drivers on the side of a Melbourne road has raised eyebrows among Aussie motorists, and left cyclists furious.
The chunky, futuristic device was seen sitting in a bike lane on the side of a road in the suburb of Croydon this week.
The silver machine – likened to a Tesla cyber truck online – has a narrow viewing window with a small yellow sign above warning "surveillance currently in use".
"Did they really just dump a speed camera in a bike lane?" one person wondered when images of the unusual device were posted online, blocking the entire cycling path.
"What a joke," another agreed.
"That is just begging to be vandalised," one person said. "Is this so they don't have to pay people to sit in the speed trap cars?"
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While confusion reigned about where the machine had come from and what exactly it was doing, one person claimed to have seen another one on Dorset Road.
"Apparently this is a autonomous speed camera," 3AW radio personality Jacqui Felgate said, also sharing the images.
Yahoo News understands the peculiar surveillance device is marketed as an "enforcement trailer" made by a company called Vitrionic. According to the company's website, the machines provide "flexible traffic enforcement at accident hotspots and remote hard-to-see measuring points".
It can recognise licence plates, record driver speeds and even enforce tolls. They can operate independently for up to 10 days and claim to have vandalism protection measures, although it's unclear if that is just referring to its seemingly tough exterior.
Yahoo contacted VicRoads about it the presence of the devices and was told it is part of a trial by private company Serco. The British multinational provides an array of services across defence, transport, healthcare and justice.
Serco responds over Melbourne roadside camera trial
When contacted by Yahoo, Serco remained tight-lipped about exactly what the camera system was monitoring but said it would be used in various locations around the city.
"Serco is testing innovative ways to improve road safety outcomes. We are currently trialling different mobile and trailer road safety camera technologies," a company spokesperson said.
"The trailer will be deployed in various existing and approved mobile road safety camera locations throughout September 2024."
The company confirmed no fines will be issued to drivers during the current trial period.
Amid rising road death tolls, states and territories across the country are rolling out fleets of new portable roadside cameras with increased capabilities to catch drivers for a myriad of road offences. This contraption could just be the latest potential addition.
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