At a press conference in Edmonton yesterday (May 11), Airdrie MLA Angela Pitt and the Wildrose party called on the Province to review the use photo radar in Alberta to make sure that it's being used to make roads safer, and not just as a cash grab.

"Photo radar should not be used as a revenue generating tool," said Pitt.

The Wildrose want to see the report completed and released before September 15, so Albertans can make informed decisions when they vote in municipal elections this fall.

Pitt said in the conference that the problem is not photo radar, but photo radar that is used improperly.

"That's the intention of the photo radar cameras in the first place, is to solve a problem, and there should be a checks and balance system that's put in place to make sure that we're actually addressing safety issues and it's not just a cash cow."

Pitt said recent concerns expressed by Edmonton's Chief of Police about speed on the Anthony Henday ring road prompted the call to look into photo radar, but she's heard from her constituents on this issue since she was elected in 2015.

Pitt's conference, yesterday morning, was held just after Transportation Minister Brian Mason held an impromptu conference on the same issue. Minister Mason also expressed concerns that photo radar is being used improperly, and said the province has already been reviewing the issue for about two or three months.

Pitt was happy to hear that the Province is looking into the matter, but found the timing of the announcement curious.

"It's interesting that that was scrambled and put together just prior to our announcement for the review today. But because the government has decided this review is already underway, September 15 as a deadline to release this to the public is certainly a reasonable one.

When asked to replace her MLA hat with her driver hat, Pitt said she does believe photo radar is sometimes used as a cash grab.

"I think in some situations it's being used as a cash cow, and I think in some situations it's being used for safety. But there's just not consistency across the province."

Pitt pointed to mobile photo radar set up outside a stadium where an out of town team was playing as an example of a cash grab, believing it was being used to nab people from out of town.

 

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