HONOLULU -- Oahu's new speed-enforcement vans caught another 600 people speeding Thursday and state officials said they are seeing drivers slow down because of them.

Nonetheless, there are a lot of unhappy drivers out there, many complaining that the for-profit speed vans (pictured, right) are acting like small-town speed-traps -- setting up where they are most likely to make the most money.

The company that owns the traffic camera vans, Affiliated Computer Services, is being paid $29.75 per valid ticket. While lawmakers approved the idea, some are still a little uncomfortable with it.

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"Basically, the function of the state is to provide service and the function of the entrepreneur is to make profit," House Transportation Committee chairman Joe Souki said. "So there is a conflict over there."

The state argues that it understands the potential for the company to abuse its contract and is insisting that rural, low-volume areas with speed problems be covered along with highways. Department of Transportation officials also say they are reviewing each potential van location to within a few feet.

"Practically speaking, we have to put the vans in places where there is room to park, where it's safe," Transportation Department spokeswoman Marilyn Kali said.

The approval process is taking time and many of the planned and other locations are not being used yet because proper signage is not in place.

Another thing that is not happening yet is daily coordination with the Honolulu Police Department. The department claims the vans are not affecting where officers are assigned.

"Our officers will still be deployed pretty much as normal because we are still concerned about racing vehicles, about people driving recklessly," Maj. Robert Prasser, commander of the HPD traffic division, said.

But to all critics, the state has one powerful answer: people are slowing down on the highways.

"That's what we want to have achieved, not the number of citations or violations or the amount of money that would be collected," transportation director Brian Minaai said.

The state is emphasizing that they are conducting a demonstration project which could disappear in two-and-a-half years if the Legislature fails to renew it.

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