EDMONTON – Questions are being raised by one Edmonton councillor about why photo radar is being used on one of the city’s busiest corridors, in a location where the speed limit is only 50 kilometres an hour.
Between last September and October, just over 3,800 photo radar tickets were issued to motorists travelling south on Scona Road, which is used by more than 40,000 motorists daily.
It’s something that concerns councillor Bryan Anderson, because he believes those who are speeding up the hill are not doing it intentionally.
“A road that’s almost a mile long with one intersection on it, that’s three lanes wide, where the car on auto-pilot would drive 60,” Anderson says, adding that that’s what he believes the speed limit should be.
Some residents in the area don’t seem to be bothered by the slower speed limit. Sam Koplowicz, for instance, says that while it would be very easy to speed up the hill, he sticks with the speed limit.
“I’m always cognizant at the top of the hill, there’s very likely to be pedestrians. And that worries me. I live in this neighbourhood, and I would hate the idea of someone getting hurt at the top of the hill. I think people drive too fast as it is.”
Councillor Anderson argues that pedestrians and drivers have to “share in their degree of alterness.”
“I just think that it is not fair to start penalizing with traffic tickets citizens who are driving on a road that really should be a higher speed limit than it is.”
Lorne MacDonald, who was waiting for a bus in the area, says he doesn’t mind the 50 kilometre and hour speed limit. But he does question the location of the photo radar.
“It makes more sense to have it around the residential areas, around the schools – where people are walking. Because Scona Road is relatively protected.”
Councillor Anderson will bring up the issue for debate in April.
With files from Vinesh Pratap, Global News
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