Twenty Ontario mayors are urging Premier Doug Ford to abandon his plan to ban automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras, warning it would reverse years of progress in school zone safety, increase police enforcement costs and endanger lives.
In a letter sent to Ford and Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria on October 2, and signed by mayors from cities including Burlington, Brampton, Mississauga, Hamilton, and Guelph, the group proposed a compromise: allow municipalities to continue using ASE in school zones, subject to certain conditions.
“A total ban on ASE would reverse years of progress on safety in school zones. It would place more pressure on police, increase enforcement costs and most critically, endanger lives,” the letter reads. “We urge you to provide a carve out to allow municipalities to continue to deploy ASE in school zones and work with municipalities to improve understanding, effectiveness and community engagement around ASE in these areas.”