Quebec open to more photo radar

An all-party committee at Quebec's National Assembly has given the green light for more photo radar units to be placed on the province's roads and highways.

A report released Wednesday said photo radar and red-light cameras have had a positive impact on reducing speed and collisions. According to the report, drivers dropped their speed by an average of 10 kilometers per hour and there was an 85 per cent drop in drivers running red lights.

The pilot project was also lucrative, raking in $20 million in fines.

Charlotte L'cuyer, the vice chair of the National Assembly committee which drafted the report, said photo radar is not meant to be a cash cow.

"It's not a machine meant to be put in place just to collect money," said L'cuyer.

The committee said additional traps should be limited to places that are hard for police to patrol or where there are frequent crashes.

Sophie Gagnon, a spokesperson for CAA Quebec, says police are still the most effective way to deter dangerous driving.

Quebec Transport Minister Pierre Moreau said he is not opposed to more photo radar but said highway patrolling by police will continue to be the primary tool used to control speeding.

"It's a measure that is there for public safety, first and foremost," Moreau said. "I will take note of the report of the commission, and then we will see what we will do with that."

The report follows an 18-month-long pilot projectlaunched in 2009 that saw photo radarunitsand red-light cameras installed at 15 locations across Quebec.

The province activated six red-light cameras, six fixed photo radar units and three mobile photo radar units at some of the most dangerous trouble spots on urban and rural roads in Montreal, Montrgie and Chaudire-Appalaches regions.