Speed or cash?

The avalanche of newsworthy stories continues unabated, but it is getting difficult to pick out the ones worthy of attention. I keep looking at items and thinking, is this yet another assault on personal freedoms or just a random hiccup. I recently noticed that a new form of speed cam has been introduced , this one they reliably inform us is vandal proof (so, vandals have stopped using paint now have they?) and can monitor several lanes at once with up to four cameras. It's base is also buried into the ground and made of thick steel, so no more cutting them down, however, quite a few UK Gatso style cameras have been burned down.
I also have to question the thinking behind this kind of camera. If as suggested, they can now be painted to blend into the surroundings, they are not a deterrent to speeding in of themselves (how can they be, you don't know they are there if you are not from that area, and you just slow down in the area if you know it is there, then speed back up again afterwards). So they are not to make people slow down, then they must be there for revenue purposes, exactly what the government have always insisted they are not for. I notice that these cameras are significanly cheaper to install then the Gatso type, and can cover several lanes, so revenues are going to increase significantly with these machines.
Strike one more against the little guy who accidentally steps over the limit.