Photo radar has been in Winnipeg for about a decade now, but never have so many people come forward to question the accuracy of readings from one particular location.

Between the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and WiseUpWinnipeg, we have now heard from over 700 taxpayers who are convinced the readings on their ticket are wrong - again, that's an unprecedented number! Obviously if the tickets are wrong, then they are nothing more than a tax grab and should be stopped.

The best story we have heard so far involves someone in a minivan who was allegedly clocked at 76kms/hr. Yes, somehow after just turning onto Grant Ave, the individual had supposedly raced up to 76kms/hr (are any minivans even capable of such acceleration?) over a very short distance...as his wife and kids rode along in the vehicle.
 

So why do we think the speed readings on the tickets are wrong?

1) Volume of Complaints - Again this is an unprecedented number of people that have come forward - many who haven't received tickets in decades. Are all our speedometers and gut instincts wrong or is there a problem with the machine? We're leaning towards the latter.

2) Metal Objects - There are several metal objects in between where the photo radar vehicle was parked on a service road and where motorists were driving on Grant Ave (see photo below.) Don't think the fire hydrants, bus shelters street signs and traffic signs in the way matter? See this Queensland Police Department page (Australia) which clearly notes photo radar should not be operated if metal objects are in the way.

3) Operator Error - yes, the people that run the program are human too and are capable of making mistakes; such as improperly tuning their equipment, not putting in the right settings, etc. 

So what's the process?

We (WiseUpWinnipeg and the CTF) have suggested that people contact the government (mail the ticket in or pop by 373 Broadway) and indicate they wish to plead "not guilty" and ask for an afternoon court trial. You will then be given a date likely sometime in March. Be sure to email us with details of your trial date (ccraig@taxpayer.com)

In the mean time, we are aiming to bring in experts and fight a ticket in mid-February. If we're successful and defeat the ticket, we're hoping to use it as precedent to get future tickets thrown out; hopefully you won't have to even go to court.

If we lose, then we'll email everyone who has signed up to fight this matter and you should have plenty of time to go in and pay your ticket. Of course you can still challenge the ticket if you wish and even push for a reduced amount.

What if you've already paid your ticket?

Hold onto it. If we can prove the ticket readings are invalid, then we're going to push for a refund for those that have already paid. In the mean time, be sure to speak out to your local councillor and MLA. The photo radar program is up for review - if enough of us speak out then our politicians will be hard pressed to renew it.

City Council - contact the Mayor and your councillor! Ask them why the city has done nothing to improve signage at this location (like put up a sign on the meridian indicating the speed limit as well as on the shoulder - like most cities do and as the street signage guidelines the city claims to be following suggest.)

Of course you can also ask why the city is operating in an era with metallic objects in the way if other cities specifically recommend against such a practice (click on this link for Queensland Police Department's site.)

Mayor Katz - myo-mayor@winnipeg.ca
Scott Fielding – sfielding@winnipeg.ca
Jeff Browaty – jbrowaty@winnipeg.ca
Justin Swandel – jswandel@winnipeg.ca
Grant Nordman – gnordman@winnipeg.ca
Ross Eadie – readie@winnipeg.ca
Jenny Gerbasi – jgerbasi@winnipeg.ca
John Orlikow – jorlikow@winnipeg.ca
Devi Sharma – dsharma@winnipeg.ca
Harvey Smith – hsmith@winnipeg.ca
Thomas Steen – tsteen@winnipeg.ca
Russ Wyatt – rwyatt@winnipeg.ca
Mike Pagtakhan – mpagtakhan@winnipeg.ca
Dan Vandal – dvandal@winnipeg.ca
Brian Mayes – bmayes@winnipeg.ca
Paula Havixbeck – phavixbeck@winnipeg.ca 

Be sure to contact your MLA as the provincial government is considering whether or not to renew the program or not. Give them a friendly push to recommend against it as the city is using it as a cash cow, not as a road safety enforcement tool. 

Click here to see how you can contact your MLA.

By: Colin Craig
Posted: January 12, 2012
Topic: Manitoba

Join Us   |   Donate