Senator tries to save
red-light cams

Gambling stays alive

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Associated Press

State Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Cal Kawamoto is making a last-ditch effort to salvage the red light enforcement part of the state's traffic camera program.

Kawamoto (D, Waipahu) said yesterday he'll circulate a petition among senators urging Gov. Ben Cayetano to veto the bill passed by the House and Senate to repeal the three-year pilot program.

He said he'll pursue the petition if the private operator of the traffic cameras, Affiliated Computer Services, agrees not to press a claim against the state for shutting down the program last week.

ACS officials have told state Department of Transportation officials their claim for breach of the contract to run the program would be between $5 million and $8 million.

However, ACS Vice President Maury Hannigan said last week the company would be willing to operate the red light enforcement program.

Because a judge last week ruled the part of the program that targets speeders was unconstitutional, leaving the law intact would keep alive the part that photographs motorists who run red lights and mails them citations, Kawamoto said.

House Transportation Committee Chairman Joe Souki (D, Wailuku) said he doubts the Senate, which voted 25-0 for the repeal bill, will go along with Kawamoto's petition.

However, if Kawamoto is successful, implementing the red light enforcement "is a good idea," Souki said.

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