The Premier’s Decision to Ban Municipal Speed Cameras Puts Kids at Risk

Speed camera outside of Berrigan Elementary School on Berrigan Dr. ahead of its removal in November 2025.

Column published in the November 20, 2025 edition of Your Barrhaven Independent — Community Voice.

By: Tyler Watt, MPP

As of Friday, November 14th, the unilateral decision made by the Premier and the Minister of Transportation to ban automated speed enforcement cameras in municipalities across Ontario went into effect. This reckless move is deeply concerning to me and to many of my colleagues across the province.

Let’s be clear on this: these speed cameras are not “cash grabs” for municipalities. As alleged by the Premier. Rather, they are life-saving tools placed in provincially mandated community safety zones: areas around schools, playgrounds, and busy pedestrian routes where children walk, bike, and cross the street every single day. The purpose of these cameras is simple: to discourage speeding and dangerous driving and prevent tragedy before it happens.

If you live in Barrhaven, you know that speeding and stunt driving have been a problem and hot-button issue for years. When I was knocking on doors during the last election, I had countless conversations with residents who were deeply frustrated about drivers racing down our streets. We all know it’s a problem, one that requires stronger action, not fewer tools to address it. This decision by the Premier stands in direct contrast to the “safer streets” and “tough on crime” approach his government claims to champion.

By banning these cameras without providing municipalities with alternative traffic-calming measures, the Premier is stripping communities of the few proven tools they have to keep children safe. Every municipality deserves the ability to protect its residents from reckless driving, and parents deserve peace of mind knowing their kids can get to and from school safely. This shouldn’t be a partisan issue; it’s about the basic safety of families in every corner of the province.

Since this ban was announced in September, I have received hundreds of emails from constituents outraged by this short-sighted decision. Parents, teachers, and community leaders have all said the same thing: they want safer streets for their kids. Instead of addressing the real challenges Ontarians are facing, like fixing our healthcare system, supporting our schools, and helping families grapple with the cost-of-living crisis, this government has chosen to pick a fight over something that was working to keep people safe.

Let’s not forget: these cameras have caught government ministers themselves breaking the law by stunt-driving in school zones. Now, rather than learning from that, the government is eliminating the very tools that hold drivers accountable.

My question to the Premier and Minister of Transportation is simple: how many children need to be hit, injured, or worse before you realize the cost of this decision? Safety should never be sacrificed for political gain. It’s time to overturn this ban and put the safety of Ontario’s children first.