Ottawa committee approves new process to deal with red light and photo radar camera ticket disputes
Ottawa motorists soon won't be able to fight photo radar and red light camera tickets in provincial court, as the city starts down the road to implement a new system to deal with ticket complaints.
The finance and corporate services committee approved a plan for the city to implement an administrative penalty system for adjudicating parking and camera-based offences, with municipally appointed screening and hearing officers adjudicating ticket disputes. Coun. Matthew Luloff was the only councillor to oppose the plan.
Under the administrative penalty system, drivers who receive a photo radar or red light camera ticket can either pay the penalty or request a review by a screening officer. Following the decision by the screening officer, the offender can request a review by a hearing officer, who will be appointed by council. The decision of a hearing officer is final.
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
Currently, a ticket for a red light or photo radar camera infraction is certified by a Provincial Offence Officer, and the ticket is mailed to the defendant plate holder. If the offender decides to challenge the ticket, they fight the ticket in provincial court.
Staff say the new administrative penalty system will see disputes heard within a few weeks or months, lower municipal costs by 35 per cent and increase the Provincial Offences Act courts capacity to focus on more serious offences. The provincial offences court will still deal with all Provincial Offences Act tickets outside of the parking and camera-based tickets.
Coun. Shawn Menard applauded the city for looking for ways to free up space within the provincial court.
"We've needed the APS for a long time in Ottawa. It has been hard to enforce some of those bylaw issues because of the provincial model that has existed," Menard told the committee.
While Luloff said he supports speeding up the ticket dispute process, he is concerned about moving the process out of the courts.
"I really don't want to do this at the expense of fairness. I don't like the idea of removing a level of appeal to a justice of the peace; I don't think that there's any replacement of that ability to appeal before a provincial justice of the peace," Luloff told councillors.
Ottawa plans to appoint 10 hearing officers per year, starting in 2024, 2025 and 2026, with a total of 30 hearing officers available five to 10 days per month to deal with tickets. Staff told councillors that a hearing officer would be someone with arbitration/mediation experience and a legal background.
The new administrative penalty system will be in place for parking tickets in the spring of 2025, while photo radar and red light camera tickets will be adjudicated under the new system in the winter of 2025.
The City of Ottawa forecasts more than one million tickets to be issued through the automated speed enforcement camera and red light camera programs this year, and 1.5 million tickets next year.
Toronto, Hamilton, Mississauga and Brampton have adopted an administrative penalty system for parking tickets.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
PWHL Minnesota defeats Boston to win inaugural Walter Cup
Minnesota won the inaugural championship of the Professional Women’s Hockey League on Wednesday night, getting 17 saves from Nicole Hensley to beat Boston 3-0 in a winner-take-all Game 5 and claim the Walter Cup.
Canadians are eyeing moves to these cities for more affordable housing
Faced with elevated housing prices, half of Canadians in the country's largest cities are considering moving to places with more affordable housing.
B.C. mortgage broker ran $270-million Ponzi scheme, then fled Canada, bankruptcy trustee says
The trustee appointed to manage the bankruptcies of a Victoria mortgage company and its owner has concluded that they committed "numerous offences" and operated as a "massive Ponzi scheme."
Oilers rally to beat Stars, tie Western Conference Final
With the Edmonton Oilers down two goals late in the first period of Game 4, Rogers Place was quiet, fans seemingly bewildered at the early, quick scoring of the Dallas Stars and the slow start by the home team. Ryan McLeod's marker with six-and-a-half minutes in the opening frame left changed all that.
McDonald's says $18 Big Mac meal was an 'exception' and their prices haven't risen that much
McDonald’s is fighting back against viral tweets and media reports that it says have exaggerated its price increases.
'Targeted again': Montreal police investigate after gunshot fired at Jewish school
Police are investigating another building in Montreal's community was struck by gunfire.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
Poilievre says Canadians 'fleeing' to Nicaragua, Liberals say it shows he 'doesn't have a clue'
Liberal parliamentarians are criticizing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre over a new video in which he promotes the idea that some Canadians are 'fleeing' Canada to live in Nicaragua because they can't afford a house in this country.
'Do not drive': Nissan warns Canadian drivers of explosion risk impacting 48,000 vehicles
Car manufacturer Nissan has issued a do-not-drive warning for some older vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators, due to the risk of explosion during a crash.