Drivers will face more fines as state-of-the-art speed cameras are rolled out on Bradford streets, a motoring group has warned.

The Telegraph & Argus has learnt that new Truvelo D cameras will be installed on Horton Grange Road next week to add to those already in place at Westgate and Whetley Hill, with more on their way across the district once money becomes available.

The cameras are smaller, require less maintenance and can store and transmit images digitally, rather than the existing film cameras.

Each camera costs around £8,500 to install, paid for by motorists who take speed awareness courses, which can cost up to £100.

Bradford Council had come under fire for remaining quiet on the cameras’ roll out.

But the Council said the cameras were being installed by the West Yorkshire Casualty Reduction Partnership, which consists of several local councils and transport authority Metro, rather than being a Council-led project.

Motorists have been assured that the cameras are replacing existing ones, not being installed in new locations. They will only be used to record speed rather than to catch motorists driving through red lights or in bus lanes, and require corresponding road markings to work.

Simon D’Vali, principal engineer for the Council and chairman of the partnership, said: “They still flash like the old ones, but because they are digital the images are transferred electronically, which makes them more efficient.

“Safety cameras continue to play a very important role in the reduction of road accidents and they are only installed where there has been a serious injury or death as a direct result of speeding vehicles.

“The funding for these upgrades has come from the Camera Partnership and the Local Transport Plan. Two further cameras will be upgraded next week and further upgrades in the district will depend on the availability of finance.

“The costs for the new cameras are the same as for the old camera housings. The savings we will make are through the processing time as there is no film to collect and develop because the images are electronically transferred.” He said an announcement was not needed for the cameras being installed, as it was merely an upgrade of existing units.

Coun Glen Miller, leader of Bradford’s Conservatives, feels the Council had “kept him in the dark.” But Coun Val Slater, in charge of highways at the Labour-led Council, said: “It can only be a good thing if it helps us reduce casualties. It isn’t a Bradford Council initiative, I wasn’t briefed about it either. It is by the partnership.”

Coun Miller (right) hit back, saying: “The partnership is still led heavily by Bradford Council so I find it hard to believe they didn’t know about it. This is another example of Bradford Council being run by officers.

“I think this is more along the lines of an income generation exercise rather than being about casualty reduction.”

Roger Lawson, from the Alliance of British Drivers, said the digital cameras were much less noticeable, and coupled with the fact they do not run out of film, expects many more drivers will be caught out.

He said: “With the old style cameras you had to replace the film. Often they are switched off or left without film. These new cameras are a lot less visible than the older ones.”

He criticised speed awareness courses that help pay for the cameras, adding: “It is bribery. Police are ignoring crimes and collecting money as a result. There will certainly be a lot more people getting speeding tickets. I think there will be thousands of tickets instead of hundreds.”

Godfrey Bloom, Yorkshire’s UKIP MEP said: “They are just tax machines, a way of raising money from hard pressed motorists. They don’t work because they can’t make an objective assessment. Speed isn’t the cause of most accidents, dangerous or careless driving is.”

Tim Shallcross, of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: “Speed cameras get a bad reputation but there is no doubt they have a part to play.

“I would encourage local authorities to replace the old film-based cameras, but it is a good opportunity to see if speed cameras are appropriate for each particular perceived road hazard and review the amount of cameras they have.”