Thousands caught by Ottawa’s photo radar cameras not ticketed
Ottawa's mayor says the city lost $1.1 million in revenue last year because tickets were not mailed out to motorists caught speeding by photo radar cameras in time.
Now, Jim Watson is calling on the Ontario government to extend the processing limitation period for mailing out tickets to motorists nabbed by the cameras to between 45 and 60 days.
Under the Ontario regulations for automated speed enforcement cameras, a ticket must be issued by regular prepaid mail or by courier within 23 days of the driver being caught by the camera.
In a letter to Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney, Watson says the centre that processes automated speed enforcement infractions "continues to struggle with the processing of these offence notices" within the limitation period, "largely due to physical distancing requirements in the workplace."
"In 2021, 13 per cent of the City of Ottawa's speeding incidents captured through Automated Speed Enforcement were not able to be processed within the limitation period, which amounted to a loss of in revenue of approximately $1.1 million for the City," Watson writes.
"That is $1.1 million less in our coffers to reinvest in road safety measures that help protect vulnerable road users."
Watson says the city believes extending the processing limitation period to between 45 and 60 days would be a reasonable change that is "fair to motorists and practical from an administrative point of view."
The city of Ottawa says the eight photo radar cameras issued 75,887 tickets in the first 11 months of 2021. Data for December is not yet available.
If 13 per cent of motorists didn't receive a ticket because it wasn't mailed out in 23 days, that would mean nearly 10,000 motorists were not punished for speeding after being caught by photo radar cameras.
The city of Ottawa says if no ticket is issued, it's not registered.
"Once the provincial timeline passes – 23 days from the date of the infraction – the incident is not processed, rejected and coded as 'exceeding timelines.' No ticket or notice of offense is created from these incidents," Automated Enforcement Measures analyst Tetsuro Ide said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa.
Ottawa motorists expressed frustration that speeders are not being punished.
"It’s hard to believe that it's kind of a mistake, you know. I don’t know how these people work but it shouldn’t happen," Gaston Verville said.
"You just issue something, you know. You don’t require a scientist to do this kind of a job. You need somebody that mails it."
Samy Mohamed says motorists need to slow down in school zones.
"It's not good to go fast like this. They have to be slower," Mohamed said on Friday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.