Transport NSW came under fire on Tuesday after it was revealed the agency was going to pay a global consulting firm $156,200 to survey the community sentiment on speed, red light and mobile detection cameras.

The plans were then hastily scrapped by Natalie Ward, the NSW Minister for Metropolitan Roads.

"I have shut that down this morning. I found out about the survey yesterday," she said during a radio appearance on Wednesday.

"I think there's a more cost-effective way we can gauge community sentiment on this issue."

Ms Ward plans to explore cheaper methods of gathering community opinion to replace the surveys, which she said had been running since 2010.

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Wes Fang, a Wagga-based Nationals MLC, has been a long-term critic of the state government's removal of warning signs ahead of mobile speed cameras.

He said the scrapped surveys were not something he would have supported. "It is a lot of money and there's no question that I think the public sentiment can already be determined," Mr Fang said.

The Nationals MLC did however say the surveys would have offered motorists a chance to "reinforce the message that speed enforcement without signage is unfair".

Joe McGirr, the Member for Wagga, said he felt the community sentiment towards the speed camera program was "pretty clear" already.

"There is obviously a very strong feeling in the community on the importance of safety and reducing the death rate on our roads and there is also a lot of concern about the increase in fines," he said.

"I don't know why they felt they had to do a survey. I think that would have been unnecessary."

Dr McGirr said the NSW Government needs to finance an independent evaluation into the exact impact speed camera warning signs have on the state's road toll.

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