Winnipeg highway safety advocates calling for change to construction zone fines

WINNIPEG — Construction season is looming, and highway safety advocates in Winnipeg are asking the government to scrap their laws fining drivers double for speeding when workers aren’t present.

Wise Up Winnipeg members have been standing on the side of the road on Bishop Grandin Boulevard for the past week, with signs warning drivers of photo enforcement parked in the middle of a construction zone near Pembina Highway.

RELATED: Manitoba drivers face tougher fines for speeding in construction zones

“The double fine sign is very small, it’s hard to notice, and there is no workers that you can see,” Wise Up Winnipeg member Kevin Yaworski said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The double fine sign is very small, it's hard to notice, and there is no workers that you can see," Wise Up Winnipeg member Kevin Yaworski said.

Over the past week, Yaworski said photo radar vehicles have been parked in the middle of the construction zone on Bishop Grandin, even when workers aren’t present. Under current laws, officials can enforce tickets regardless if there are people working on the construction site.

RELATED: Construction around every corner of Winnipeg leaves many drivers frustrated

Yaworski said the law isn’t improving safety, and is causing a headache for Winnipeg drivers.

“There’s nothing wrong with putting signs up to help people slow down,” Yaworski said. “But they shouldn’t be enforcing double fines.”

Wise Up Winnipeg said they will be standing near construction zones with their signs all summer, warning drivers of photo enforcement. Yaworski said the group doesn’t plan on stopping until changes are made.

“We’ll be out. That’s for sure.”

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Wise Up is hoping the province will make changes to the law, so that fines can only be issued when workers are present. They are also pushing for officials to make changes to construction zone signage, claiming it is too hard for drivers to read when fines are doubled.

When it comes to the amount of tickets issued in Winnipeg construction zones over the past five years, the numbers have been up and down. In 2013 police didn’t issue any tickets, because there were no zones where enforcement made sense. A year later more than 21,000 tickets were issued, because of Bishop Grandin construction. This year, with more construction on the busy boulevard, there have already been more than 1,000 tickets issued.