Premier Doug Ford has doubled down on his government’s plan to ban municipal speed cameras across Ontario, rejecting appeals from Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown and Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward to preserve the programs.
In a sharply worded letter sent to both mayors, Ford dismissed the devices as “cash grabs, pure and simple,” arguing they fail to improve road safety while draining millions from drivers’ pockets.
Ford’s response came after Brown and Meed Ward urged the province to reconsider legislation that would outlaw automated speed enforcement.
“The answer is no. Our government is banning this municipal cash grab once and for all,” Ford wrote. “The only thing municipal speed cameras are 100 per cent effective at is taking money from hard-working people.”
Instead, Ford said the province will fund “proven and proactive” traffic-calming measures such as roundabouts, speed bumps, and improved signage, particularly in school zones.
Ford cites rising ticket revenues
The premier pointed to what he described as runaway growth in ticketing revenue:
- Between 2020 and 2024, the number of fines issued by speed cameras in Ontario increased nearly ninefold, from 163,852 to 1.3 million, resulting in a cost of $52.5 million to drivers.
- In Toronto, more than 550,000 tickets were issued between January and August 2025 alone, generating over $30 million. One camera, Ford noted, issued nearly 70,000 tickets since 2022, collecting $7.3 million.
- Other municipalities cited included Waterloo Region (55,000 tickets in six months), Oakville (17,000 in three months), and Vaughan (32,000 in three weeks).
Ford argued that if the cameras were truly effective at slowing drivers, ticket numbers would be declining, not rising.
“A growing number of mayors like Mayor Steven Del Duca in Vaughan, Mayor Alex Nuttall in Barrie and Mayor Iain Lovatt in Whitchurch-Stouffville have either ended speed cameras in their cities or have pledged to soon do so,” Ford wrote. “They are joining the vast majority of municipalities and mayors, including leaders like Mayor Barry Vrbanovic in Kitchener, that never introduced speed cameras in the first place.”
The letter comes amid mounting opposition from local leaders who say speed cameras are a vital tool for protecting children and pedestrians in school zones.
Brown has been one of the most vocal critics of the ban, warning that removing cameras will make roads less safe. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has also defended the city’s program, stating that the cameras save lives and calling on the province to allow municipalities to decide for themselves.
Funding and contracts
Brown and Meed Ward had also asked the province to help cover the costs of cancelling existing contracts. Ford rejected that request, suggesting that municipalities use the revenue already collected from fines or seek compensation from the camera operators.
He added that Ontario’s legislation will indemnify municipalities to “de-risk” contract terminations.
“I encourage you to instead cover these costs by insisting that the speed camera operators do so, or by making use of the tens of millions of dollars that you have taken from hard-working people through these speed camera programs over the last several years,” Ford said in response.
What comes next
The Ford government introduced legislation in September to formally ban municipal speed cameras. If passed, the law would require municipalities to remove existing devices and prohibit the installation of new ones.
The move has sparked a province-wide debate over road safety, municipal autonomy, and the balance between enforcement and infrastructure. Ontario’s school boards just recently joined the debate, urging the government to prioritize student safety over politics.
“Our government is prepared to help fund new signage and traffic-calming measures that will keep school zones safe. We are not prepared, however, to allow your municipal speed camera cash grab to continue,” Ford wrote.
“I look forward to working together to protect our communities without making life more expensive for the hard-working people of Ontario.”