Gov. Ben Cayetano ordered the state Transportation Department today to end the traffic enforcement camera program to catch speeders.
Gov. Cayetano ends the program
aimed at catching speedersBy Pat Omandam
pomandam@starbulletin.comThe governor took the action in response to the Legislature's intention to repeal the controversial program.
"The traffic van cam law is the creation of the Legislature and if they want to now cancel the program, it will be canceled," the governor said.
Cayetano said the objective of the program was good -- to promote safety through controlling speed -- and it's unfortunate the program has met with an early demise.
"Driving at faster speeds has become a habit for many drivers and explains, at least in part, why there was so much opposition to the traffic van cam," he said.
Last night, the state House moved to kill the controversial traffic camera program last night, succumbing to an insistent state Senate and an outraged public.
"We're raising a white flag," state Rep. Nestor Garcia (D, Waipio) said.
The House was scheduled to vote tomorrow to accept a Senate bill that repeals the program. The state Senate yesterday voted 25-0 to repeal the program.
The governor said this morning in a news release that he will allow the repeal to become law without his signature.
The state Department of Transportation and ACS, the company that operates the camera were not available for comment this morning.
House Transportation Chairman Joseph Souki (D, Wailuku), who had fought hard for major changes to the state photo traffic enforcement program during this legislative session, said late last night that the program did not evolve the way legislators believed it would.
Souki said all the legal challenges to the traffic camera program, along with the public outrage over it, led him to believe "the program at this point cannot be salvaged."
"We tried hard to save the program. I think it's gone to a point where it's beyond saving," Souki said.
The surprising House action, which occurred at 9:30 p.m., reverses a decision last Friday by House Democrats, who had stopped debate on Senate Bill 2077, Senate Draft 1, after House Republicans recalled the bill early last week.
The House minority had wanted to force a vote on the repeal of the traffic cameras in acknowledgment that it has become one of the top issues of the session.
Honolulu District Judge Leslie Ann Hayashi was expected today to decide the fate of hundreds of photo speeding citations issued by the traffic cameras.
Defense attorneys say the program could be shut down if Hayashi rules that people cannot be held responsible for the citations because they are the registered owners.
Also, the American Civil Liberties Union recently filed a lawsuit against the state because the project allows a private company access to driver's Social Security numbers.
The Transportation Department began the program in January through a contract with Affiliated Computer Services, the vendor that operates the camera vans and issues the citations.
Soon after, there was public outrage that the program is more a money-making scheme for the state and the private vendor than a program to reduce speeding on state roads.
Moreover, with all 76 legislative seats up for election this November, legislators are keenly aware of the public pressure to do something about the program.
Cayetano, who is away on a personal trip to South Carolina, returns Friday.
The governor had previously been in favor of keeping the program with modifications.
Reporters Crystal Kua and Rick Daysog
contributed to this story.
State of Hawaii
