Ontario’s school boards are jointly urging the provincial government not to proceed with Premier Doug Ford’s plan to get rid of speed cameras.
A statement today from the province’s four publicly funded school board associations is just the latest in a series of groups supporting the automated enforcement tools, including municipalities, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police and research from the Hospital for Sick Children.
“As leaders representing Ontario’s four publicly funded school board associations, we are united in our concern about the province’s proposal to eliminate automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras in school safety zones,” reads the joint letter.
“These cameras have been shown to be one of the most effective tools available to keep children and families safe near schools.”
Ford has announced that his government will introduce legislation this month to prohibit the use of speed cameras across the province.
The premier calls the cameras a “cash grab” and has criticized several parameters of the program his government put in place, but the school boards are asking Ford to refine it instead of scrapping it entirely.
They say when it comes to protecting children in school safety zones, every possible precaution must be taken.
A July study from SickKids and Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) found the cameras reduced speeding by 45 per cent in Toronto, and data from several other municipalities that use the cameras also show reduced speeds.
“We recognize concerns raised by the Premier and some mayors about fairness, thresholds, and revenues. But those issues can and should be addressed through policy changes and safeguards, not by dismantling a proven, life-saving safety system,” the letter states.
“We call on the provincial government to improve and refine ASE, not eliminate it. We urge the province to work collaboratively with the people who know their communities well – local municipalities, local school boards, local law enforcement, and local public health. Our children deserve the strongest protections we can provide.”