What is the difference between Stalin's Russia
and Burgess Hill? Not a lot if the front page
of the 3rd January 2008 Mid Sussex Leader
is to be believed. In a move reminiscent of
George Orwell's novel 1984, motorists may
be able to escape the traffic wardens - but
they won't be able to get away from the prying
eye of big brother.
West Sussex County Council is planning to
install CCTV cameras in order to catch motorists
who avoid the wardens on the street, which
they can legally do thanks to that well thought
out Traffic Management Act, which comes into
force this April.
Fines will rise from £60 to £70,
while lower offence fines are set to drop
to £20. While on the surface this may
have people honking their horns with delight,
the drop in fines means more tickets will
need to be handed out - or the council will
be facing up to a £1m shortfall in income.
Good news for motorists everywhere!
London already has a similar scheme in place
for catching not just parking criminals, but
also dealing with general crime. It is an
easy link to make between the capital and
Burgess Hill in terms of justifying this system
- after all, we live in a place well known
for its gang wars between the Victoria and
Sheddingdean Industrial estates, terrorists
plotting to bomb the Market Place Shopping
Centre, vital institutions at the heart of
all that is British, such as St Johns Church,
the bandstand and the multi storey car park,
and ultimately old women stealing cars and
holding illegal burn outs up and down Junction
Road while under the influence of a dangerous
cocktail of Horlicks and chocolate biscuits
All of those facts obviously make a compelling
case for the CCTV, along with the minor detail
of the council needing to line its pockets
with even more of its residents hard earned
cash. And I bet they still won't sort out
the St Johns Park toilets…
