Mobile speed camera of a different kind: Because the officials of the Augsburg traffic control at many bottlenecks and construction sites found no room for their mobile speed camera, they were creative. Without further ado they got a manoeuvrable cargo bike and mounted a radar system on it.
"At many bottlenecks in the city, we can not get by with our vehicles, in which the mobile speed cameras are housed," explains Andreas Bleymaier, head of the traffic monitoring and security service. To solve the problem, the officers combined a cargo bike and a conventional radar system. "The rest is self-made," explains Bleymaier. The speed camera is placed on the roadside and then put into operation by an official. He must always be there during the measurement.
Günter T. Oberhuber
Behind the cargo bike is the speed camera on a tripod. The gray box houses the rest of the radar system
"After a two-week pilot phase in August, the city of Augsburg has been monitoring compliance with the speed limits since the beginning of November, even using a cargo bike," explains Bleymaier in the best official German. However, the use only takes place if a danger or bottleneck does not allow a measurement in a motor vehicle. Currently, the officers use the device about twice a week.
The traffic monitoring has only one copy of the flash bike, and it should stay that way. A bicycle that flashes cars - that could further fuel the constant conflict between cyclists and motorists. The official Bleymaier tries to appease: "It is not about revenue, the bicycle is a purely pragmatic solution to increase traffic safety."