TORONTO – Premier Doug Ford has declared war on speed cameras, calling them “cash grab” and announcing a bill his government will introduce next month to ban their use in all Ontario municipalities. “They are nothing more than a ‘cash grab’…”
“At a time when governments at all levels should be doing everything they can to lower costs and make life more affordable, too many municipalities are using speed cameras as a cash grab” Ford said at a press conference in Vaughan today. “Enough is enough. Instead of making life more expensive by sending speeding tickets to drivers weeks after the fact, we’re supporting road-safety measures that will prevent speeding in the first place, keep costs down and keep our streets safe…”.
The new law, if passed, would eliminate over 700 speed cameras operating in forty Ontario municipalities. Additionally, municipalities will be required to install new, large warning signs by mid-November, with permanent flashing signs by fall 2026. Furthermore, to improve road safety, the Province will establish a new provincial fund to help affected municipalities implement alternative safety measures, including proactive traffic calming initiatives such as speed bumps, roundabouts, raised crosswalks, and sidewalk extensions, as well as public education and improved signage to slow drivers – here more details.
Speaking at Thursday’s press conference, Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca, who had already moved to abolish his city’s speed camera program, thanked Ford for “providing clarity” and committing resources to other safety measures specifically for road users.
The announcement comes just a day after Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow redoubled her commitment to improving the city’s automated speed enforcement program because “speed kills. Since 2024, 250 Torontonians have died or been seriously injured on our roads” Mayor Chow said. “Automatic enforcement works. It saves lives…”.
City officials and some police chiefs have also spoken out in favor of speed cameras, citing a July study showing the devices reduce speeds by 45% in school zones. And the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police has also urged Premier Ford to reconsider his position, warning that removing speed cameras would put vulnerable road users at risk.
Ford, however, insinuated that some City’s officials have privately admitted that speed cameras serve more economic purposes than safety. And since his government has already dismantled other car taxes – road tolls, congestion charges, carbon taxes… – now it’s the turn of “speed cameras’ cash grab” … maybe the most hated “car tax” ever.
In the pic above, Premier Doug Ford during today’s press conference in Vaughan (screenshot from the “Premier of Ontario” YouTube channel)
