Talivan

As you may be aware, all speed cameras must now be clearly marked and visible from a certain distance. This also applies to mobile speedtraps such as vans and hand held guns. The days of the hidden van will soon be over and the only use for them will be as a deterrent with a drop in revenue as motorists will be able to see them.

The picture below shows a Ford Galaxy which is used in Lancashire. The regulations that require speedtraps to be visible is clearly evident by the presence of the speed camera logo which gives motorists plenty of time to slow down and avoid capture. Anyone getting caught here ought to have an eyesight test.

Ford Galaxy

Now look at this van in Fareham, Hampshire and compare the differences. For a start its parked on double yellows which is an offence in itself. There's also no camera markings visible from the direction of approaching traffic. A total revenue earner.

Parked illegally

This is another Hampshire van. This one is parked on Bitterne Road, Southampton and is targetting traffic just before a fixed camera. The fixed camera is just out of view on the right.

Targetting traffic just before a fixed camera

Here's a closer view of the van.

Talivan

This van on the A1 in Sandy, Bedfordshire has a well placed sign in the back but is parked just before a fixed camera. This is one of the meanest tricks of the scamera partnerships and is designed to catch people out who are used to the fixed camera. Also notice how its parked in front of a van dealer to blend in with the background.

Highly visible but located to catch people out

Here's another van on the A1 near Sandy. This section of the A1 is a magnet for speedtraps, both fixed and mobile.

Talivan

This camera van in Warwickshire also has a sign placed nearby. In small writing it says 'Safety Camera Ahead' but by the time you're close enough to read it your speed will already have been recorded.

Although its not clearly visible in this picture, the website address on the bottom of the back doors is missing from the right hand door suggesting it may have been involved in a crash.

Camera van with sign

Here's another Warwickshire van, this time without the portable sign. This one is on Fosse Way near Princethorpe which is an ideal road for revenue.

Talivan

This is another one of Warwickshire Police's vans. This one is targetting traffic in roadworks on the M42 near Coleshill. It makes a regular appearance to catch motorists who speed up after passing a Gatso. The tripod can be seen clearly through the opened door.

M42 roadworks

This Warwickshire van is on the B4098 near Fillongley which has a rather low 40mph limit.

Talivan

This Warwickshire van is parked on the pavement so pedestrians are forced to walk on the busy A45 or make their way through the vegetation.

Talivan

This van is parked above the A500 in Stoke where the speed limit has been reduced to just 30mph for roadworks.

Talivan

This van is parked on the A458 near Enville in Staffordshire. The camera operator has a good view of traffic coming down the hill.

Talivan

This van has parked in the village of Weeton in Lancashire. The camera sign is upside down but that's the least of our problems.

Talivan

This shot shows a drivers view approaching the van. From this distance it could be a delivery van with the rear door open.

Talivan

This van has parked in the central reservation of a dual carriageway. In the dash for cash, these parasites are ignoring all basic safety principles by setting up their cash machines in the most dangerous places. Traffic speeds in the offside lane are higher than those on the nearside and a vehicle striking the van could have fatal consequences.

A stupid place to park

This is a closeup of the last picture. Another danger will become apparent when the van departs. It will have to pull out in the 'fast lane'. The presence of the sign is a token gesture at complying with the visibility rules.

Camera van with sign

This van may look good and proper with a large camera symbol, but its not the visibility of the van thats the problem...

Talivan

...its where its chosen to park that is. The A40/A449 around Raglan in Gwent is plagued by lowlife scum who think that setting up their cash machines on modern, safe dual carriageways is going to reduce casualties whilst the more dangerous side roads receive no enforcement due to insufficient traffic levels. Easy pickings = more revenue.

This location is chosen for its revenue potential

Here's another Gwent Talivan also parked on a dual carriageway. This one is parked on the A48 at Caerwent and this short dual carriageway is useful to pass slower traffic. Unfortunately the scamera partnership has taken exception to this and anyone wanting to make progress will have to pay for the privilege by exceeding the 50mph limit.

Revenue comes first

This is one of Northamptonshire's stealth vans. There is criticism about the locations chosen for enforcement as they are mostly on fast dual carriageways and motorways where they can catch huge numbers of motorists who exceed the limit in safety. Another reason is to catch motorists from outside the county so as to avoid complaints from locals. This one is on the A14 at Kettering.

A14 Northamptonshire

This is the same van as the one above taken from above the junction. The lights are orange, possibly to confuse motorists in believing its a contractors van. From this angle it is obvious that its a camera van but from the side there are only the words Safety Camera Team. Safety cameras is now the official name for speed cameras. This is a desparate attempt to gain support from motorists. Pedestrians are forced to walk into the road.

Northants safety van

This van in Northamptonshire is on the outskirts of a 30mph village. There is a left hand bend just before the van which means you can't see it until you're within target distance, hopefully the headlight flashing from oncoming vehicles will have caught your attention by then.

40mph would be more realistic here

This is another Northamptonshire van. The speed limit on parts of the B4525 has been cut from 60mph to 40mph and a couple of fixed cameras went up a few years ago. This van is parked just after one of the cameras.

Talivan

This Avon and Somerset Scamera Partnership vehicle is parked legally for once. This Police force has one of the worst records for blatantly ignoring the rules on siting its Talivans. The particular one is parked on the A38 at Patchway near Bristol.

Sensible parking for once

This is a side view of the last picture. The markings have also improved when originally they had just the heart logo which could easily be mistaken for an ambulance. The Police banner at the rear is also a good idea. However, political slogans such as 'keeping an eye on your safety' do little to gain public respect.

Well signed at the rear

This is another van from the same scamera partnership and is parked on the A46 near Chipping Sodbury. The speed limit here has been slashed to 40mph and its no wonder the cameras are raking it in.

Talivan

This one doesn't have the police banner. Maybe the banner is slowing too many drivers down resulting in reduced revenue.

Talivan

This van is parked on the A403 in a pathetic 40mph limit.

Talivan

This Talivan is parked under a bridge on Goose Green Way in Yate. Its set to catch traffic in the 30mph limit.

Talivan

This van in Leicester is parked on the pavement in a feeble attempt to avoid the yellow lines. Double yellow lines mean no parking at any time. Single yellows mean that parking is forbidden during certain times which are shown on small yellow signs. This picture was taken on a Monday at 1:30pm and parking is almost certainly forbidden at this time of day.

Parking on pavement

This is a rear view and shows it has decent markings.

Parking on pavement

If the van in the last picture wasn't bad enough then look at this. Not only has it parked on the pavement to avoid the yellow lines but its also blocked an entrance which is for a school. Dumb or what.

Blocking an entrance

This van is parked on a dual carriageway near Staines. It can be found in many locations on this road.

How obvious is this a talivan from a distance?

This van in Hull has bright red back doors, too red in fact as the flourescent paint has overexposed the picture. However this does mean its visible from quite a distance. Note the camera symbol is the wrong way round.

Talivan

This Talivan is parked on Ashby Road in Scunthorpe. This one also has back to front camera symbols.

Talivan

This van on the A74 in Cumbria is a typical revenue earner. Firstly the livery is hardly appropriate - it looks more like a contractors van. Then there's the usual location of a fast dual carriageway which is nearly always chosen because most traffic originates from outside the area.

How obvious is this a talivan from a distance?

Here's another SCUMbria van. This scumbag is parked on a bridge overlooking a remote part of the M6 with the sole intention of fleecing perfectly safe drivers who exceed the archaic 70mph limit. To make matters worse the pavement is coned off forcing pedestrians into the road.

Daylight robbery

Here's yet another van persecuting motorists on the M6 in Cumbria. This one was taken on a Sunday morning near Tebay Services.

Daylight robbery again

Here's another Cumbria van hoping to fleece motorists of their cash. This one is parked on a deserted section of the A6 between Penrith and Carlisle.

Talivan

This van is parked on the A68 at the summit of Soutra Hill in Scotland. Drivers need not worry too much about this one as its well marked and parking in such a desolate location means it sticks out like a sore thumb.

This van is easy to spot

Here's another Lothian Talivan. This one is parked in Edinburgh. At least there's plenty of camera symbols on the side.

Talivan

This van is parked on a bridge overlooking the M74 near Annandale Services. This stretch is one of the quietest three lane motorways in the country yet the scamera partnership seem only interested in extracting revenue in one of the safest places where high speed cruising is possible. The accident statistics for this location are dubious to say the least.

Purely a money making exercise

This van is used by South Wales Police to fleece motorists who use the M4 near Bridgend. Their vans used to be black Berlingos/Partners but these seem to have been replaced with white Peugeot Experts which are popular with other police forces. There are plenty of markings to comply with the bright camera regulations especially the camera symbol which is visible from a distance when travelling on the motorway giving motorists plenty of time to apply their brakes.

South Wales van

This is a front view of the same van. Targetting motorways has little effect on traffic. On seeing the van most drivers hit their brakes causing those behind to bunch and once out of range the traffic resumes its normal speed.

Police resources are better spent tackling crime

This is one of North Wales' Arrive Alive vans situated on a bridge above the A5 Chirk bypass near Wrexham. This is overlooking the stretch with the crawler lane and motorists will be building up speed to pass slower vehicles. This sort of location can only be used for revenue purposes.

Arrive Alive? Your wallet won't

Same van different location. This time its parked on Chester Road in Wrexham.

North Wales Van

This is looking at the back of the van. There's a bend just before here and you can only see the van at the last minute.

North Wales Van

Here's the van again on an August Saturday on the A548 near Rhyl. Holidaymakers are being targetted here.

Catching people from outside the area

This is another one of North Wales' mobile mugging machines. This one is on the A541 at Gwersyllt. The speed limit is just 30mph which opens out on to a dual carriageway. Many people are tempted to overtake at this point and the Scamera Partnership knows this. The 30mph limit lasts for a few hundred hundred yards then it becomes 70mph as you can see by the NSL signs. The van is aiming at traffic just before it passes the NSL signs and this is when it will have you.

Fleecing not Policing

Here's a closeup of the van. At least they've bothered to put camera symbols on it.

Talivan

This van is catching traffic heading into Wakefield in West Yorkshire. Other than the police and casualty writing, there is nothing on this van that shows it is a speedtrap. This is more apparent when driving towards it and all you see are the open doors with someone sitting inside.

More serious however is the location of the van. Parking on verges is illegal in some places with signs prohibiting vehicles from driving over it. Whether or not this applies in Wakefield I'm not aware of but parking on verges also turns the grass into mud. Making money from speeding fines appears to take precedence.

Ever wondered why grass verges turn into mud?

This van in Nottingham is parked on the pavement due to the double yellow lines. With all the potential money to be made by zapping the passing cars, why worry about blocking most of the pavement. There are two people operating, one is manning the camera while the other seems to be taking notes. The lights on the roof are orange, is this an attempt to fool motorists?

Nottingham van

This is another van in Nottinghamshire. They seem to have the unique feature of having the operator standing behind the tripod rather than sitting inside the van.

Nottinghamshire van

This is a front view of the last picture. Once again the presence of double yellow lines forces the van to park on the verge. All roads where cameras are used must have warning signs but this one is taking liberties by being directly behind the sign. The yellow sign is also obscuring the van but as its a temporary one it won't be there for long.

Another muddy verge

This is another Nottinghamshire van. This one on Nottingham Road in Hucknall was blocking a wheelchair shortly before this picture was taken. The wheelchair user was forced to use the road to get past the van.

Parked on pavement

This is a front view of the van.

Parking on pavements endangers pedestrians

This is what was preventing the wheelchair passing the van. As with most Talivan locations, revenue comes first.

Wheelchairs cannot get through here

A Talivan is parked on the A60 in Mansfield in this picture but where?

Nottinghamshire van

This is a closeup of the Suzuki garage in the last picture.

Nottinghamshire van

Oh yes I see it now. Unfortunately for Talivan operators, pulling a stunt like that ensures you'll end up on this webpage.

Nottinghamshire van

Here's a couple of Nottinghamshire Talivan operators

Camera operators

Some police forces are taking the visibility rules to the limit. This van on the A6 between Derby and Buxton is well camouflaged behind the fence and various poles. The writing is obscured and only the orange stripe is visible. At first sight it could easily be mistaken for an ambulance.

There are normally two vans on this stretch and they seem to be in a different location each time.

This van is partially obscured

This is another van in Derbyshire. This one is on the A6 London Road. The right hand picture is a closeup of the left and you can compare the two by looking at the pelican crossing. The pictures were taken on different days.

Once again they are trying their best to hide the van. My source says the left picture was taken from where his car was caught and the large advert and bus shelter mean you can't see the van until its too late. Also notice the lack of buildings on this stretch of road, there's open grassland on one side and a wall on the other. The houses are in the distance but there's more money to be made on the straight stretch in the foreground.

Another dodgy location

This is another Derbyshire van that is trying to hide from its unsuspecting victims. In the summer the branches will have leaves which will make the van impossible to see before you've been caught.

Revenue is the motive here

This van is on Burton Road in Derby. It least its in full view this time.

Talivan