Ottawa Centre MPP Yasir Naqvi is taking action to fix a loophole that prevents Ottawa from ticketing out-of-province drivers who run red lights in the capital.
Naqvi tabled the Enhancing Red Light Camera System Enforcement Act in the Ontario Legislature today. The private member’s bill would allow Ottawa and other Ontario municipalities involved in the red-light camera program to send tickets to drivers in another province or state.
City council approved a measure to push the province to make these changes due to concerns over road safety and lost revenue, reports the Ottawa Citizen. More than $390,000 in fines was lost in 2011 because 1,500 red-light camera tickets could not be issued to vehicles from outside the province.
The city is allowed access to plate information from other jurisdictions to enforce offences such as parking tickets. But legislation governing the red-light program won’t allow the mailing of tickets to out-of-province offenders.
“This is a road safety issue, and one of fairness,” said Naqvi in a news release. “If someone runs a red light in our community, and is caught by a red light camera, they should be held responsible.”
In the meantime, the city is looking into changes it could make on its own, according to the Citizen, if the province doesn’t go forward with the bill.