Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he plans to ban speed cameras across the province, calling them an unfair “tax grab” in his latest push to appeal to suburban voters.
The decision sparked strong criticism from road safety groups and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, who warned that “speed kills” and urged city councillors to keep the cameras in place.
Ford told reporters on Thursday that residents are “fed up” with the cameras, which he argued are used mainly to raise money for cities. “This is a cash grab off taxpayers. Nothing more, nothing less,” he said. Ford even claimed he could personally show mayors how to slow traffic without cameras.
Although Ford’s government introduced rules in 2019 that allowed cities to install the devices, he now says the number of cameras has grown “out of control.” According to him, only 37 of Ontario’s 444 municipalities still support the program. He promised to set up a new fund to help cities install other road safety measures.
The premier pointed to one Toronto camera that has issued over 63,000 tickets and raised more than $7 million in fines since 2022. That camera was set up in a 40 km/h zone where an elderly couple was killed in a crash. It has since been vandalized seven times.
Ford’s move follows a series of policies aimed at suburban commuters and has already faced backlash. Police chiefs across Ontario said speed cameras are proven to make roads safer for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and children.
Ford also dismissed a study by Toronto researchers that found speed cameras reduced speeding near downtown school zones by 45%.
Mayor Chow argued it would be a “mistake” to remove the devices, especially after a 15-year-old was recently killed by a speeding driver. She called for better signs near cameras and suggested drivers shouldn’t be fined more than once a week by the same camera.
“Speed kills,” Chow said. “Torontonians, especially children, deserve to be safe. And we know speed cameras work.”
