Vaughan road safety group urges province to reverse speed camera ban

A local advocacy group is urging Ontario’s government to reconsider its decision to ban municipal speed cameras, arguing that the devices have proven to reduce speeding and improve safety in school and community zones.

The Vaughan Community Road Safety Advocacy Group held a demonstration on Oct. 20 as part of a provincewide day of action opposing the ban, joining similar protests in Toronto, Ottawa, Kitchener, and Waterloo.

“The public is receptive — we were getting a lot of honks,” said group founder Eddy Aceti. “People are frustrated with what our mayor and Premier Doug Ford are doing.”

Premier Doug Ford announced in September that his government would prohibit municipalities from using automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras, calling them ineffective and labeling them a “cash grab.” He argued that physical measures such as speed bumps and signage would be better solutions for traffic calming.

The move has drawn criticism from community groups, police associations, and municipal leaders across Ontario. Studies cited by advocates — including research from SickKids Hospital and Toronto Metropolitan University — show that ASE cameras reduced the number of speeders in Toronto school zones by nearly 50 per cent. Several municipalities, including Whitby, Ajax, Newmarket, Hamilton, and Ottawa, have also released data showing their success.

“They put the cameras in place, they’re observed to work, then all of a sudden they pull a 180 and take them out,” Aceti said. “None of us can understand how this decision came about.”

Twenty-two Ontario mayors signed a letter urging the government to reverse the ban, but Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca was not among them. Del Duca, who previously served as Ontario’s transportation minister and helped introduce legislation enabling cities to install speed cameras, has since spoken in favour of removing them.

He introduced a motion to cancel Vaughan’s speed camera program shortly before hosting Ford’s announcement of the provincial ban. Del Duca said residents complained of being fined for “going just a few kilometres over the limit” and that enforcement should focus on “real criminals.”

Aceti said the province should fix flaws in the system rather than eliminate it. “Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater,” he said. “If you raise the ticket threshold, you can reduce unnecessary fines while still catching dangerous drivers.”

He emphasized the need for a “holistic approach” combining physical safety measures with proven tools like speed cameras to protect pedestrians, cyclists, and schoolchildren.