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2mo ago

Ontario Moves to Scrap Municipal Speed Cameras as Bill 56 Introduced

Fresh polling shows significant opposition as municipalities warn the ban would weaken school‑zone safety.

Premier Doug Ford speaks about roadway speed cameras at the Vaughan Joint Operations Centre in Vaughan, Ont., on Sept. 25, 2025.
A file photo of the speed camera on St. Laurent Boulevard near Queen Elizabeth Public School.
Coun. Tim Tierney proposed the motion to Ottawa city council affirming support for the speed camera program and urging the Ontario government to tweak the system rather than banning the cameras.
Coun. Riley Brockington says “the use of speed enforcement cameras works. It does reduce the speed of the motorists in school and safety zones.”

Overview

  • Red Tape Reduction Minister Andrea Khanjin tabled Bill 56, which repeals automated speed enforcement in the Highway Traffic Act and would render camera tickets unenforceable once the bill receives royal assent.
  • Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria says the province will direct school‑zone signage and pursue alternatives like speed bumps and roundabouts through regulation, shifting away from ticket-based enforcement.
  • Premier Doug Ford has labeled speed cameras a municipal cash grab, while the government notes 37 municipalities use them and more than 400 do not.
  • Mayors, police chiefs and parents rallied against the plan, citing research from SickKids and TMU showing a 45% drop in Toronto school‑zone speeding and urging the province to keep local programs.
  • A CityNews/Canada Pulse Insights survey found more than six in ten Torontonians oppose a ban, and a separate Liaison Strategies poll reported more Ontarians disapprove than approve, as Greater Sudbury council rejected a reimbursement motion despite reporting $753,003 in net camera revenue for safety projects.