The ACT government has scotched claims that 593 speeding infringements issued with incorrect dates in February and March this year were invalid, even though it had admitted to the error.
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The issue arose as a result of a "systems error" in which the speeding infringements were issued with incorrect dates because the computer system which processes the notices had not been correctly programmed to account for the 2020 leap year.
The inconsistencies occurred from February 29 to March 13 this year, when the systems error was finally detected and rectified.
While the traffic cameras were correctly programmed for the date of the alleged offence, the computer system issued the notices dated a day later, which creates a legal discrepancy and incompatibility.
Potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines and motorists' deducted demerit points are now brought into question.
All fixed traffic cameras in the ACT appear to have been affected by the systems error during the 14-day period.
Several motorists identified the discrepancy and have detailed their circumstances in correspondence with The Canberra Times.
However, in Access Canberra's view, "the infringement notices are valid for the purposes of the Road Transport Legislation", stating that the legal advice it has received on this matter is "confidential and will not be provided".
"Access Canberra has been responding to enquiries from motorists who have received an affected infringement notice," the directorate said in a statement.
"Motorists can see photographs of their offence online at Access Canberra. Therefore, the infringement notices will not be reissued.
"Like any infringement issued, the recipient can seek a review or withdrawal of the notice under the Road Transport (General) Withdrawal of Infringement Notices Guidelines."
The NRMA had urged the ACT government to be transparent about the issue because "the system has to be 100 per cent accurate for people to have confidence in it, or the effectiveness of the system diminishes very quickly".
"If there has been a technical glitch - as this appears - then the cameras should be immediately turned off, the system fully audited, and the results made public," NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said.
One vehicle owner, who did not want to be identified, was issued with an incorrect notice for an alleged traffic camera-detected speeding offence on the Federal Highway. He described it as "sloppy administration" and said he intended to fight it in court.
The NSW owner said that on the date of the infringement notice, his car was parked in Rudd Street, Civic, for three hours.
He was also concerned that the sworn statement in the pages of legal documentation sent to him contained a number of factual errors, which he also intends to raise in court.
"The integrity of the legal system requires that the documentation be 100 per cent correct and this case, it certainly isn't," he said.