CHAT News file photo

By Darren Rathwell

Change coming to Medicine Hat photo radar

Dec 1, 2021 | 5:38 PM

MEDICINE HAT– New restrictions are coming to photo radar in Alberta, including changes to make radar equipment and vehicles more visible in Medicine Hat, as the province once again tackles concerns that the program is a cash cow.

“These new rules will put a stop to photo radar fishing holes or speed traps,” Rajan Sawhney, Alberta’s transportation minister said.

“Photo radar will be prohibited on residential streets with speeds less than 50 kilometres an hour unless they are school or playground zones or construction zones,” Sawhney added. She says the changes are geared towards making the program more accountable, more transparent, and to address public concerns it’s being used as a means of making money.

However, Medicine Hat police say the speed limit on most roads in the city are already 50 kilometres per hour. And current locations where photo radar is currently set up, which are already publicized, likely won’t change.

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But there will be one noticable difference in the city soon, one that will make photo radar in Medicine Hat not quite so difficult to spot.

“We will be required to provide more visibility on the photo radar vehicles or whatever apparatus we’re using,” Insp.Joe West with Medicine Hat Police Service told CHAT News, “So we’re definitely going to look at exactly what that means.”

The city of Edmonton brought in yellow vehicles for automated traffic enforcement recently.

Courtesy: City of Edmonton

Also, the province is extending a freeze on new radar equipment for a third year to give municipalities more time to gather data that shows why it should be used in any given location.

But Medicine Hat police say it’s data they already supply.

“Municipalities can’t just put photo radar wherever they want. (The locations) have to be backed up by traffic data. There’s actually eight criteria in setting up photo radar sites. They’re approved by the province and then audited every two years,” Insp. West said.

But based on what CHAT News heard on the street today, the radar program continues to be unpopular with many, including with former city councillor Duane Roset.

“When photo radar first came in I was on city council, I objected to it then, I object to it now,” Roset said.

And a woman parked on 3rd St. S.E. in Medicine Hat added,

“Sometimes people go a little fast. It’s not the end of the world unless they cause an accident. and if they cause an accident they should be charged with dangerous driving.”

But police say it’s doubtful photo radar will be cancelled in Medicine Hat anytime soon.

According to police statistics, the average motorist caught by the program is travelling 14 kilometres over the speed limit and 17,677 tickets were issued in 2021 as of Oct. 31.

In all of 2020, MHPS says 17,675 tickets were issued, just two less than this year’s numbers so far.