Last week,
Premier Doug Ford announced
that the era of speed cameras in Ontario would be coming to an end.
The cameras had been embraced by many cities in the province as a way to cut down on drivers breaking the speed limit. The premier said they’d amounted to a tax grab. Supporters say the cameras have proven themselves effective deterrents to speeding, and point out that fines aren’t user fees.
Caught in the middle are cities that have put in place speed camera programs and are now left wondering what comes next.
With so much uncertainty, you’ve probably got questions, which is why we’ve brought together journalists from the Ottawa Citizen and London Free Press to help you understand what’s happening. Reporters Aedan Helmer and Jonathan Juha, will be joined by columnist Bruce Deachman to answer all your questions.
You can join us for today’s text discussion in the comment section below starting at noon ET.
Leaving a comment is easy. Make sure you’re signed in, scroll down to the comments, and leave us your question. We will be moderating your questions, so don’t worry if it’s not popping up right away, you’ll see it soon enough.
If you’re here early, and want to take a quick refresher, we’ve got a few pieces to bring you up to the speed limit on what’s going on.
We’ve got a pair of stories, one from London, one from Ottawa, looking at why speed cameras can be so contentious:
- Speed cameras in London: A ‘tax grab’ or road safety success?
- Are Ottawa’s speed cameras a ‘cash grab’ or an important safety tool?
Citizen columnist Bruce Deachman makes the argument for why the big winners in all this are fast drivers:
- Speed-camera threat — Doug Ford shows he’s the irresponsible driver’s best friend
And in the wake of Ford’s announcement that speed cameras’ days were numbered, here are two stories about how cities are reacting to the news, and how they hope to change the premier’s mind:
- Ottawa councillor says city should ‘refine’ but not remove speed cameras
- ‘Worst decision’: Londoners unhappy with plan to ban speed cameras
We’ll see you at noon today in the comments to answer all your questions. Join us!
