The revenues of the radars photo in free fall

Photo Simon Clark
Last year, the cameras of the province have reported more than $ 2 million, compared to $ 32 million the previous year.

Patrick Bellerose

On Wednesday 10 January 2018 00:00

UPDATE
On Wednesday 10 January 2018 00:00

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The revenue from photo radar devices have fallen sharply in 2017, because of a ruling that said the evidence ” inadmissible and unlawful “.

Last year, the cameras of the province have reported just over $ 2 million, compared to $ 32 million the previous year.

The revenue decline could also lead to a significant deficit since the management of the radar picture has cost more than $ 10 million annually over the past two years.

The program photo radar devices had already recorded deficits in the past, but these were modest. At their inception in 2008-2009, the first radar photo had created a shortfall of $97,000.

In 2015-2016, an increase in expenses and a decrease in revenues related to new signage and the removal of the “trap” tickets ” on Atwater had also resulted in a deficit of 716 000 $.

In the other years, the surplus of income amounted to rather $ 8 million and $ 10.7 million. These amounts are paid to the Fund of road safety.

Judgement Cimon

It is a decision of the justice of the peace Serge Cimon in November 2016 that has caused this dramatic fall in the number of findings issued in 2017.

It was felt that the evidence on which were based the statements of offence issued by the cameras of Quebec was “inadmissible and unlawful” since the agent is based on a photograph and is not present at the time of the offence.

“The records that have been processed since this date take into account this judgment. It is this which has led to a decline in the number of findings, ” explains a spokesperson of the ministry of Transport, Martin Girard.

And the decline in the number of statements of offence has been brutal : they have gone from 280 838 in 2016 just a 10-115 in 2017.

Regulatory changes

The issuance of citations is always running in slow motion today, but the situation should be corrected with the adoption of the regulatory changes provided for in the reform of the highway safety Code, filed last December by the minister of Transport.

“But the photo radar devices are still in function, so people should expect to receive a statement of offence,” warns Martin Girard.

Few tickets in 2017

• Fixed Radars : 7156
• Mobile radar : 2617
• Red lights : 342

In 2016

• Fixed Radars : 115 692
• Mobile radar : 160 686
• Red lights : 4460

Source : ministry of Justice