VAUGHAN — Ontario Premier Doug Ford says his government will table legislation next month to eliminate speed cameras across the province, framing the move as both a safety reform and a way to ease costs for drivers.
Ford has repeatedly blasted the cameras in recent weeks, arguing they do little to slow down traffic and instead act as a “cash grab” for municipalities. “The fines are just making life more expensive,” Ford said, positioning the ban as part of his broader affordability agenda.
Municipalities that currently operate speed cameras will instead be required to install large flashing signs in school zones, the government says. They will also be encouraged to adopt traffic-calming measures such as speed bumps, raised crosswalks and roundabouts.
Critics point to studies showing the cameras work. Research from Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children and Toronto Metropolitan University found that automated enforcement reduced speeding by 45 per cent in the city. The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police has also publicly defended the program, noting it helps free up officers for other duties while keeping roads safer.
Ford, however, insists the cameras punish drivers without changing behaviour. He maintains that flashing signs and physical road design changes will be more effective in protecting children and pedestrians.
The legislation is expected to be introduced when the legislature returns in October, setting up a clash with municipalities that have invested heavily in speed camera programs and rely on the revenues to fund road safety initiatives.