Doug Ford promises to ban speed cameras in Ontario after a single one gave out $7M in fines

Drivers in Ontario might soon see the end of automated speed cameras — and a shift in how road safety is handled in the province's most vulnerable areas.

Premier Doug Ford says the provincial government plans to introduce legislation next month that would ban the use of municipal speed cameras across Ontario, putting a stop to what he calls a "cash grab" by local governments.

According to an announcement from the Office of the Premier on Thursday, the goal is to cut down on what Ford views as unfair ticketing systems while still keeping streets safe. The ban, if passed, would kick in as soon as the bill receives royal assent.

Instead of cameras, Ontario will create a new fund to help cities pay for traffic-calming features like speed bumps, roundabouts, curb extensions and raised crosswalks. The fund would also support public education and better signage to help slow drivers down, especially in school zones.

The province says it will also require municipalities that currently use speed cameras in school zones to install large new signs by mid-November — with permanent flashing-lit ones by next September — to encourage safer driving in those areas in lieu of speed cameras.

"Enough is enough," Ford said in the statement. "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."

Automated speed enforcement (ASE) was first introduced in Ontario by Kathleen Wynne's Liberals in 2017, when they amended the Highway Traffic Act to introduce the use of ASE cameras in school zones and community safety zones. Ford's government finalized the legislation that would allow municipalities to use speed cameras in 2019.

There are currently more than 700 speed cameras operating in 40 Ontario municipalities, and many more were set to be added soon.

Under current rules, municipalities can choose whether to use ASE and where to put them, although the Highway Traffic Act restricts their use to school zones and community safety zones. Sites are typically selected using local data to identify high-risk areas.

Speeding fines are also automatically doubled in school and community safety zones — though tickets issued by ASE cameras don't come with demerit points or impact a driver's insurance record. Advance warning signs are always posted ahead of every camera location, including during the pre-installation phase to alert drivers.

But Ford's government says these devices have become more about generating revenue than protecting people.

"Too many municipalities are using speed cameras as a cash grab," the premier said in the Thursday announcement.

Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria echoed that statement: "Municipal speed cameras have become nothing more than a tool for raising revenue," he said, adding that Ontario will continue working with cities to stay "one of the safest jurisdictions in North America."

From Toronto to Vaughan to Waterloo, tens of thousands of tickets have been issued through these cameras in recent months, raising millions in fines. According to the province, a single speed camera in Toronto has issued more than 65,000 tickets, raking in nearly $7 million in revenue prior to 2025.

In 2024 alone, the City of Toronto issued more than 528,000 ASE tickets, bringing in around $40 million in fines. Meanwhile, the City of Ottawa sent out over 383,000 tickets and gathered more than $29 million in fines last year.

But many Ontario cities, including London and Guelph, claim their ASE programs are revenue-neutral, with the funds mostly going to cover camera operations, maintenance and required remittances to the province.

Despite criticism, recent studies show ASE cameras work. A 2025 report from CAA found that in 250 Toronto school zones, speed cameras cut speeding by 45% and lowered top-end speeds by nearly 11 km/h. The number of cars going more than 20 km/h over the limit dropped by 88%.

A 2025 survey conducted by CAA also reports that 73% of Ontario drivers slow down near ASE zones — and most say they don't speed back up after.

Love this? Check out our Narcity noticeboard for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!

AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of Narcity's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our Editorial Standards page.