Six extra speed cameras

By Melissa Grant
Pakenham’s top traffic cop Sergeant Nigel Atkins has had enough of drivers flouting the freeway’s 100km/h speed limit and is preparing to launch an “unprecedented operation” in a bid to get them to slow down.
Police have caught motorists travelling as fast as 205km/h on the freeway, and recently engaged in a pursuit after clocking a man at 180km/h.
Sgt Atkins warned drivers to slow down or pay the price.
“There is going to be a massive operation on the bypass (and highway) between Bunyip and Officer,” he said.
“Within the week we will be assessing and approving six new safety camera sites on the bypass.”
This will take the total number of camera sites to eight, but it doesn’t end there.
“We will engage with cameras on both sides and have patrol cars past the camera sites,” Sgt Atkins said.
He said it was difficult to estimate how many motorists put the pedal to the metal on the Pakenham Bypass, but said police could usually nab about 20 speedsters along the freeway in an hour.
Some motorists were detected well above the speed limit – most recently a man who police clocked at 180km/h on the bypass in Officer in the early hours of Sunday 10 May.
Police pursued the man, driving a light blue Ford sedan, who reached speeds of 200km/h before police backed off.
“The male driver put the boot into it and increased his speed and pulled off the freeway onto Cardinia Road,” Sgt Atkins said.
“Police pursued him through Cardinia Road until he reached Ballarto Road where he turned left.”
Sgt Atkins said police abandoned the pursuit because of the “horrendous surface” on Ballarto Road, while the driver of the Ford sedan proceeded travelling at high speeds through a bridgework zone.
Sgt Atkins said inquiries were pending as to the identity of the driver of the utility, an XR6 or XR8 model, but police believed he was from the Kooweerup area.
“The vehicle has been seen on previous occasions at high speeds,” he said.
“When he is eventually apprehended, he is looking down the barrel of some serious charges.”
The pursuit came just weeks after police impounded the car of a 23-year-old Bairnsdale man who was detected at 195km/h near the McGregor Road overpass.
Sgt Atkins said drivers still weren’t getting the message, and, once again, urged them to lay off the accelerator.
“Don’t be a victim of the operation that is about to come,” he said.
Anyone with information about the driver of the Ford sedan is urged to call Pakenham Police on 5945 2500.