Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government is pressing ahead with plans to eliminate automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras across the province, formally including the measure in a new red tape reduction bill introduced at Queen’s Park.
The bill, tabled by Red Tape Reduction Minister Andrea Khanjin, focuses on cutting permit delays and simplifying regulatory processes, but tucked within it are provisions that would remove all speed cameras and instead promote the installation of speed bumps and roundabouts as alternative traffic-calming measures.
Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria defended the move, saying speed cameras are “not the best way” to curb dangerous driving, echoing Premier Ford’s long-held view that the cameras serve as “cash grabs” for municipalities rather than genuine safety tools.
The decision has sparked frustration from mayors across Ontario, with more than 20 municipal leaders—including those from major cities like Toronto, Mississauga, and Brampton—urging the province to reform, not remove, the program. Ford, however, dismissed the appeals, doubling down on his commitment to end automated ticketing.
The move comes despite data from multiple municipalities, along with research by the Hospital for Sick Children and Toronto Metropolitan University, showing that speed cameras significantly reduce vehicle speeds in school and community safety zones.
Once the legislation passes and receives royal assent, the use of speed cameras and all associated penalties will no longer be legally enforceable in Ontario, effectively ending one of the province’s most widely adopted road safety initiatives.