The push is on hard to expand red light camera operations in the United States for Redflex, an Australian photo enforcement vendor. The company is desperate to shore up sinking investor confidence reflected in a stock price that has plunged from A$3.82 in November 2005 to A$2.00 (US $1.52) yesterday -- far below the average performance of companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.

Redflex hopes to install 54,000 red light cameras throughout the country, earning it $3 billion in annual revenue. This year, the company is pushing that expansion by installing new camera setups in California, Texas, Illinois, Ohio and Georgia. Profit for local governments is what will drive the goal of universal intersection monitoring, according to one Australian stock broker.

"In our view, this is expected to be driven by increasing confidence in the revenue-generating success and public safety programs delivered by existing red-light programs operated by Redflex," Bell Potter told The Australian newspaper. "In turn, as the number of municipalities adopting programs increases, we envisage a possible flow-on effect into previously unpenetrated US states."

Red light camera systems take about two years to show a return on investment for Redflex. Once installed at a cost of $115,000, however, the devices generate a steady $5000 a month in revenue.