Peel wants more options to reduce speed
Published May 28, 2021 at 2:47 pm
Speed kills, say councillors from the Region of Peel, who are asking for more powers to reduce excessive speeding in the Region, while making it easier for residents to pay their fines.
Peel, which has just one camera, wants the Province to end the pilot phase of the automated speed enforcement camera program and allow the camera’s use outside of school zones. There are only six school zones on regional roads in Peel – all in Caledon.
Brampton has had great success with its 48 cameras, ticketing more than 10,000 vehicles and generating more than $1 million in revenue in just the first four months of the program, and Mississauga has recently ordered 20 more cameras to its arsenal.
The cameras are installed in school zones and rotate every 30 days, with residents given advance notice of the new location.
Provincial Offence Officers review the captured vehicle images and issue a ticket to the vehicle’s owner, regardless of who was driving the vehicle at the time.
Convicted vehicle owners will be fined. Demerit points will not be added to the vehicle owner’s license, and the registered owner’s driving record will not be affected.
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The Region also wants the Province to create an automated school bus stop arm camera program and has requested that Ontario allow enforcement of the proposed program, as well as automated speed enforcement and red light camera programs, through an Administrative Monetary Penalty System, with revenues from penalties directed back to municipalities.
Administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) are a civil mechanism for enforcing compliance for Provincial Offences charges. Under the current system, those who wish to dispute tickets may find that the cost, length of time and inconvenience of the court process are significant deterrents.
Because AMPs are imposed without a court hearing, other protections are put in place, such as an unbiased decision maker, the right to be heard, etc., to ensure the process AMP systems have been upheld by the courts as appropriate for matters under provincial control.
Mississauga Ward 9 Councillor Pat Saito said she was hopeful Queen’s Park will understand the importance of the motion, which was approved unanimously at Peel Council May 27
“Our MPPs seem woefully unaware of road safety concerns.”
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