Hear, hear to Gerry VerCammen citizen’s view on photo radar and enforcement. It seems that the cash cow radar van locations are more for the revenue than the safety of the public. Case in point is the speed trap on Villeneuve Road and Hogan Road (in both directions).
This is a rural highway with a speed limit of 60 km/h with farmland on one side and closed fenced backyards on the south side. I have written to the RCMP and said in the concerns of public safety that the radar locations should be placed at locations that are in the interest of public safety and not revenue generation for the city coffers as depicted in the prior front page headline about city surplus.
The current placement of photo radar on Giroux Road might as well have a flashing sign on the van, for as soon as the drivers see the van parked at the fire hall they immediately slow down. The concern I have and still have is about a retired gentleman in a wheelchair nearly being run over while crossing Giroux Road.
The worst time for speeders seems to be weekend nights, but the radar van is placed during the afternoon weekday rush hour when it can be most profitable when people are going home from work. When the radar unit was placed on Villeneuve Road it was there simply as a money generating location as foot traffic is non-existent and I would like to see the stats/number of collisions at that particular location.
Photo radar is nothing more than a cash cow for the city at this point and until I see evidence pointing differently I will call it a cash cow that is under a ruse of enforcement of the law for public safety.
Alan Bird, St. Albert
