Province eyes repaying tickets issued for speeding in construction zones

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This article was published 06/05/2009 (6319 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

 

WINNIPEG — Attorney General Dave Chomiak said this afternoon the provincial government is examining the possibility of repaying Manitobans who have already paid fines for speeding in construction zones.
Chomiak, speaking during Question Period at the Legislature, has also asked police to stop using photo radar in construction zones until the province and city of Winnipeg can examing the legal wording surrounding its use.
He said Manitobans have lost faith in photo radar as a tool for safer roads.
Chomiak was responding to questions from Tory justice critic Kelvin Goerten this afternoon.
On Monday, the province announced it was dropping more than 800 ticket cases still outstanding because lawyers found fault with the way police set up photo-radar speed traps in construction zones where no workers were present.
The province immediately came under fire after Chomiak insisted Manitobans who already paid their fines had effectively admitted they were speeding and were therefore guilty, and would not be getting a refund.

 

Chomiak said the province was temporarily suspending police use of photo radar in construction zones because of the huge spike in tickets handed out in 2008 from the year before.

He said that, when cabinet met this morning, it was learned 60,000 tickets were handed out last year compared to about 3,000 in 2007.

That massive jump could be viewed as a pure cash grab rather than an attempt to make streets safer, he said.

The suspension of photo enforcement in construction zones will not impact other police speed cameras.

Chomiak said the province and city will work out new rules for how the cameras are supposed to operate in constructions before enforcement resumes.