Dear Editor:
RE: Speed cameras generate $1.18 million in ticket revenue, March 27.
This speed camera program seems a lot like Highway 407, where the money collected doesn’t go to the taxpayers for infrastructure rebuilds, but into private pockets. Shame.
And it’s quite some profit: $1.18 million. That’s a cash cow and a golden goose rolled into one. The fact that a large percentage goes not to the county but to private wallets is abysmal. This is predatory capitalism at its worst.
Also, many people were forced to pay to protect their credit rating even though the tickets contained errors. I paid a 407 ETR bill even though I hadn’t been on the 407 in months.
Changes to previous incarnations of photo radar were scrapped and seen as problematic.
Surely at that time when trust in others, and particularly in government, is statistically low, we don’t need this lack of transparency. There is no reason for this not to be completely exposed – after all the contractual arrangement has to exist. It should be public fare. So why the hocus-pocus?
We need bridges, roads and school repairs. This is no time for this.
Who is behind the decision making to construct a profit mechanism for private pockets? Some people are getting wealthy on the backs of the poor taxpayer. I can’t believe that anyone would advance such an initiative.
In a civilized state we don’t need this Big-Brother faction. It should never have been allowed without transparency. It’s too bloody dangerous from too many angles.
We know licence plate recognition software and even many cruisers are equipped with it.
Facial recognition software is also available and when a deal like this lacks transparency, one has to wonder how many layers there are in the lack of transparency. What is behind it all?
There is no excuse for driving fast in a school zone – when school is on. But why do the cameras work after school hours? And why not demarcate school zones or problematic areas with flashing lights?
I do feel for young parents in this day and age with everything moving fast. This is another wrinkle in the manufacture of tension and another instigator for mental health blowouts. This is the last thing we need!
David Courtney,
Belwood