Despite the upgrade

Of Innsbruck’s 18 speed cameras, only two are operational

The speed cameras are getting old and are set to be replaced with new ones. Nevertheless, most of them remain unused.(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

The city of Innsbruck operates eight speed cameras within the city limits. However, it has only one speed detection device, which it can use alternately in one of the units. Now, the number of locations is set to increase to 18. Anyone who thought that, in this age of digitalization, measuring devices would now be in use everywhere is in for a surprise. 

Innsbruck’s city officials likely looked on with envy at Kundl when it became public knowledge just how modern the radar units used there are. St. Johann, Bad Häring, and Wattens will, as reported, follow suit. The devices being installed there are slim, unobtrusive, and can issue citations in both directions.

Technical Lifespan Expired
In comparison, Innsbruck’s radar boxes seem downright antediluvian. But they don’t just look that way—most of the time, they’re completely incapable of catching any speeders at all. This stems from the simple fact that seven out of eight devices are empty (!).

In other words: The city currently has exactly one speed camera that it can deploy at one of the eight locations. And the kicker is: Even after a 450,000-euro investment, this situation won’t have improved significantly!

The speed detection systems must be interchangeable across all installed speed detection booths and movable between the individual booths.

Aus der Ausschreibung

Not for public consumption
On Thursday, the Innsbruck City Council will debate this issue—but in a closed-door session. The session is closed to the public because otherwise it might come to light that Innsbruck’s radar system is largely intended as a deterrent. Yet all the details have long been available online.

“The subject of the request for proposals is the delivery, installation, commissioning, and handover of a stationary speed monitoring system ready for operation for the city of Innsbruck,” it states. “The scope of work includes the delivery and installation of stationary measurement booths for 18 measurement locations, as well as the delivery of two calibrated speed measurement systems based on radar, laser, or equivalent measurement technology. The measurement systems must be interchangeable across all installed measurement booths and movable between the individual measurement booths.”

Half a million for two active measurement sites
In plain language, this means: The city currently has one measuring device in use that is rotated among eight radar booths. Once the new system—costing 450,000 euros—is installed starting in 2027, there will be 18 locations and two measurement devices available, which, at least, can measure in both directions of travel.

Eighty percent of the fines collected on municipal roads go to the city, 20 percent to the state; on state roads, the municipality turns a blind eye. However, road safety isn’t solely the responsibility of the network of “fake” speed camera housings. The police rely on a flexible and mobile surveillance strategy.