Item - 2022.IE27.15

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee directed staff to report back at the March 29, 2022 meeting of Infrastructure and Environment Committee on:

1. The number of Automated Speed Enforcement speeding tickets issued to Toronto Solid Waste Services vehicles, broken down by vehicle type, velocity, and infraction location;

2. Information on the policy for paying speeding tickets (i.e. who pays the fine, the City or the driver), and a summary of Automated Speed Enforcement fine payments by staff and the City; and

3. Information on consequences of traffic violations, beyond fines, for members of the Public Service.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee considered items IE27.8 and IE27.15 together for the purposes of Questions of Staff and Members' speaking time.

When City-operated vehicles, including large trucks, exceed speed limits on local roads it is a matter of public interest.  Given the efforts and expense the City has invested in making roads safer, the Public Service should be held to the same or higher standard as other vehicle operators.

However, a recent Freedom of Information (FOI) request found that many tickets have been issued to Solid Waste Management Services vehicles in Automated Speed Enforcement zones, which are also Community Safety Zones.  In FOI documents surrendered by the City the speed of the offending vehicles was redacted, so the scale of the problem is unclear.

This information should be made public.  The public has a right to know if the Public Service is not obeying the laws, in order to hold it accountable.  The Public Service must be a role model for safe driving and set an example for by adhering to posted speed limits.