The City of Ottawa will soon be able to issue tickets to drivers caught on one of the 54 red light cameras around the city, even if they’re from Quebec.
In a memo to city councillors, Transportation Services General Manager John Manconi says the City has signed an agreement with the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators to be able to access their Interprovincial Record Exchange system, through the City of Toronto’s red-light camera processing centre.
What this means is, once certain technical issues are worked out, the City will be able to issue red-light camera tickets to drivers from Quebec, Saskatchewan and the Yukon Territory.
Those are the provinces and territories that have agreed to share data with the CCMTA. Newfoundland and Labrador have not yet decided whether they’ll sign on, and the other provinces and territories have indicated that they can’t share their vehicle licensing data.
Manconi says in the memo that there are a few steps that need to be taken before tickets can be issued. The City must make sure its files are correctly formatted in line with the CCMTA and the City of Toronto; the red-light camera software must be able to support the proper file format; and the City will need to test the new system and consult with the provincial offenses court to ensure violation notices are issued correctly.
Manconi says, barring any technical difficulties, he expects the ability to ticket out-of-province drivers who run red lights will be available by the end of June.
This news comes the same day the City activated its 54th red light camera, on Lyon Street, between Albert and Slater.