A MOBILE speed camera site on a section of one of Scotland's most notorious roads has been responsible for £250,000 in fines handed out to motorists in the past year.

The speed camera unit, sited on a section of A9 dual carriageway north of Dunblane, Perthshire, was responsible for the issuing of 4000 speeding tickets after catching drivers exceeding the 70mph speed limit.

Details emerged in figures released by Police Scotland for the financial year 2012/2013, which revealed the growing use of mobile speed cameras to catch motorists who stray over the speed limit.

Steven Camley's cartoon.

Police Scotland statistics showed the cameras raised £2.75 million in fines during 2012/13. This compares with the £1.5m generated from traditional fixed cameras.

The single force has revealed for the first time the stretches of road where more than 500 mobile cameras operate and the number of £60 fines handed out.

The cameras are often placed at the rear of police vans parked on overhead bridges.

The most lucrative camera site, situated by the Allan Water north of Dunblane, caught 4,217 drivers in the last financial year, raising £253,020 in fines.

It represents an average of 11 tickets per day for the period.

An average speed camera system could be introduced on the A9 from Dunblane to Inverness later this year if plans are given the green light.

The next most-ticketed spot for mobile cameras was the A74(M) northbound at junction 13, by Abington, where 3163 drivers were caught speeding, paying £189,780.

The same motorway, 4.5 miles north of Gretna Green, had the third most-ticketed site with 2622 offences and £157,320 in fines.

Fourth place went to the A956 North Esplanade in Aberdeen where 2027 drivers were caught at a cost to them of £121,620.

The fifth most-ticketed spot is also on the A74(M), near Lockerbie, where 1196 drivers were caught, paying £71,760.

The sixth most-lucrative mobile site, catching 1033 drivers at a cost of £61,980, was the M80 between Glasgow and Stirling, near Falkirk.

A further 100 mobile sites caught between 100 and 1000 motorists over the 12-month period.

Police Scotland confirmed that fixed camera sites generated £1.5m over the same period but refused to say how many drivers had been caught by each camera in case the information led to vandalism.

The number of drivers caught by cameras has risen sharply in the past three years. The total fines from fixed, mobile and average speed cameras in 2012/13 was 70,906 compared with 62,832 in 2009/10.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Campaign Against Irresponsible Drivers said: "We are only too aware of the devastating consequences following death and serious injuries on Scotland's roads.

"From the figures it appears that when drivers are forewarned of fixed safety cameras they are more likely to adhere to the speed limit and as you know these cameras are located at areas of concern.

"The mobile cameras on the other hand appear to be highlighting the fact that outwith an 'area of awareness' many drivers, almost twice as many, ignore their speed."

The campaign claimed that despite the success of speed cameras in punishing motorists, the courts still took a lenient view. The spokesman added: "How can drivers take bad driving seriously when the courts do not?"

A spokesman for Taxpayers Scotland said: "Everyone agrees these devices should be used for safety purposes and not as a revenue generating method; especially if that revenue is only to fund an ever-rising number of cameras that become less and less effective at reducing speeding.

"The public who pay for these cameras need to know that they offer a genuine contribution through a reduction in casualties and the promotion of responsible driving habits."

Police Scotland referred inquiries on to the Scottish Safety Camera Partnerships. The organisation was unavailable for comment.