The Ford government has officially moved to ban automated speed cameras across Ontario, tabling an omnibus bill on the first day the legislature returned, which includes the ban promised by the premier.
The legislation introduced Monday by Red Tape Reduction Minister Andrea Khanjin is largely about cutting permit timelines and processes, but it also includes measures to remove speed cameras and encourage more speed bumps and roundabouts.
Since early September, Ford has railed against speed cameras, calling them a “tax grab” and saying they do nothing to stop drivers from speeding. Instead, the premier wants cities to spend more money on speed bumps and flashing signs.
The push to ban speed cameras has been welcomed by some mayors — including Steven Del Duca of Vaughan — but has faced pushback from others.
A study from SickKids and Toronto Metropolitan University over the summer found speed cameras reduced speeding by 45 per cent in Toronto.
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The Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police both released statements in which they argued that the cameras are an effective tool to slow down drivers, freeing up police officers to concentrate on serious crime.
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Ontario minister vehicles caught speeding as Ford looks to remove cameras
Ford’s office has highlighted the money raised by some cities to show that the cameras make more money than they slow down.
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The government said 40 municipalities in Ontario had signed up for automated speed enforcement, installing more than 700 cameras between them. The cities on that list include some of Ontario’s most populous, like Toronto, Ottawa, Brampton and Mississauga.
Sarkaria said when the bill passes and receives royal assent, the speed cameras and associated penalties will no longer be enforceable or valid in Ontario.
The Ford government’s proposed legislation will effectively reverse a law introduced in 2017 by now-Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca when he was Ontario Liberal transportation minister.
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The law was activated by Ford’s government in December 2019. At that time, it introduced the regulations required to let cities start issuing fines.
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The speed camera changes are only a small part of a broader omnibus bill intrduced Monday by the red tape minister, largely about cutting permit timelines and processes.
The bill will also allow for greater movement of workers, largely in health care, between provinces. The provisions are part of larger internal trade deals Ford signed with most provinces and territories over the past six months.
The province will also go ahead with automatic recognition of credentials for doctors and nurses from the rest of Canada.
The province will also “streamline” the Clean Water Act, which came into effect as a result of the deadly drinking water disaster in Walkerton, Ont., in 2000. E. coli made its way into a well and flowed into the municipal water system. More than 2,000 people fell ill and seven died from the contaminated drinking water.
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Elsewhere, Ontario is looking for a 35 per cent reduction in “economic development-focused” permits by 2028 and it will create a centralized digital permitting system.
— With files from The Canadian Press
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