Speed cameras across Ontario will be removed within two weeks following the Ford government’s decision to ban them through legislation passed on Thursday. The move, which takes effect November 14, has drawn strong criticism from municipal leaders and opposition parties who warn it will create a safety gap before any replacement measures are in place.
Premier Doug Ford has repeatedly argued that speed cameras fail to reduce speeding and believes other methods, such as speed bumps, roundabouts, and flashing light signs, are better options to calm traffic. Research from municipalities and the Hospital for Sick Children contradicts that claim, showing speed cameras have significantly lowered speeding in school zones and residential areas.
Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria confirmed that temporary and larger signs will be installed in affected zones before the November 14 deadline. He said the province will continue discussions with municipalities to identify funding and introduce alternative safety measures in the coming weeks.
Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, among more than 20 Ontario mayors who urged the government to modify rather than cancel the program, said municipalities have not been given details about the proposed funding or replacement plans.
“The government should provide funding and ensure alternative measures are in place before removing the cameras,” Meed Ward said. “Otherwise, we have a significant gap in safety.”
She added that signs alone are insufficient, while speed bumps and roundabouts are either unsuitable or costly for many urban areas. “Speed cameras work, and they are cost-effective because the burden shifts from taxpayers to lawbreakers,” she said.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles said the government’s decision puts public safety at risk, especially during the transition period without cameras or new traffic controls. “If one pedestrian, if one kid, is injured in the interim, it will be on this premier’s shoulders,” Stiles said.
Liberal parliamentary leader John Fraser echoed those concerns, calling the move reckless and contrary to data-backed evidence from municipalities, the Hospital for Sick Children, and the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police. “By rushing this through, Ford ignored the chiefs of police, SickKids, and university researchers, siding instead with those who destroyed speed cameras in Toronto,” Fraser said.
The ban on automated speed enforcement was included in a broader red tape reduction bill that was fast-tracked through the legislature, with limited debate and no public hearings. The removal deadline leaves municipalities racing to fill the enforcement gap as Ontario rethinks how to keep its roads safe.
