The Ontario government has announced it will end the use of automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras across the province, framing the move as a step toward fairness for drivers and a shift toward alternative road safety strategies.Premier Doug Ford made the announcement in Vaughan on Thursday, joined by Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria, Education Minister Stephen Lecce, and several local mayors and police association representatives. Ford said the government will introduce legislation in the coming weeks to formally ban the cameras.“Over the last few years, we’ve seen municipalities use speed cameras as nothing more than a cash grab,” Ford said, pointing to examples such as a single camera in Toronto that issued more than 65,000 tickets and nearly $7 million in fines. .In Waterloo Region, he added, cameras generated close to 55,000 tickets in the first six months of operation. “Drivers across the province have received tickets for going just a few kilometers over the speed limit,” Ford said. “The worst part is, people who are issued a ticket don’t know how to fight it or make their case.”Instead of ASE cameras, the province plans to fund other traffic calming measures, including flashing speed signs, speed bumps, raised crosswalks, roundabouts, and curb extensions, particularly in school zones.A new provincial fund will support municipalities in installing these features. Ford said such measures are proactive and prevent speeding in real time, rather than punishing drivers retroactively..The Police Association of Ontario endorsed the decision, with president Mark Baxter arguing that trained officers are better equipped to enforce the law fairly. “Officers are able to exercise discretion, offer real-time education and deliver accountability in ways that cameras simply cannot,” he said.Municipal leaders also welcomed the announcement. Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic and Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall said speed cameras had eroded public trust, while infrastructure-focused solutions were more effective and less punitive.Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca, who ended his city’s program earlier this year, said residents often received multiple fines for minor infractions, creating financial strain without changing behavior. “People want safe streets, but they also want fairness,” Del Duca said..The move fits into the Ford government’s broader focus on affordability and infrastructure. Ford cited recent measures such as removing tolls on Highways 412 and 418, freezing licence and photo ID fees, and permanently eliminating licence plate sticker renewal fees. He also pointed to major investments in highway and transit projects, including Highway 413, the Bradford Bypass, and the Yonge North subway extension.Ford stressed that Ontario remains among the top jurisdictions in North America for road safety and said the government will continue investing in police resources, new technologies such as drones and licence plate recognition, and public education campaigns to discourage dangerous driving.“Instead of punishing people retroactively with speeding tickets days or weeks after the fact, we’re supporting practical, proactive traffic calming measures that stop people from speeding in the first place,” he said.
