The mayor of Belleville isn’t thrilled with Premier Doug Ford’s plan to abolish automated speed camera systems in the province later this fall.
Ford has repeatedly called the speed enforcement systems a “cash grab.”
Mayor Neil Ellis tells Quinte News he believes the cameras improve public safety on streets near schools during school hours but better signage and other traffic-calming methods should be used in other areas.
Bay of Quinte riding MPP Tyler Allsopp, who wholeheartedly supported the cameras as a Belleville councillor, has said he’ll wait to see the details in the Premier’s legislation before making any decision on the issue.
At a recent meeting, Belleville council rejected a motion by Councillor Kelly Henderson that speed cameras only be allowed near schools during school hours and nowhere else.
Joining Henderson in supporting the motion were Mayor Neil Ellis and Councillor Lisa-Anne Chatten.
Voting against were councillors Sean Kelly, Garnet Thompson, Barbara Enright-Miller, Paul Carr and Kathryn Brown.
Henderson had said earlier that between July of last year and May of this year over $4.3 million in gross revenue (city does not receive the total amount) from speeding tickets had been collected.
Belleville has four speed cameras in operation and rotates them through about ten designated Community Safety Zones.
