Ontario bans Automated Speed ​​Enforcement (ASE)

By Natmed     Nov.15, 2025

November 14, 2025, is a day that drivers should remember—approximately 700 Automated Speed ​​Enforcement (ASE) in 40 municipalities across Ontario will be phased out.Automatic Speed ​​Enforcement (ASPE) cameras have been decommissioned. These cameras, which had been in use for over 5 years, issued over 1.3 million tickets, and accumulated over $52.5 million in fines, have finally reached the end of their service life.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said, “Governments at all levels should be doing everything they can to help people save money, but too many municipalities are making money off speed cameras (cash grabbing).” The province subsequently announced a $210 million investment to improve road safety in school zones and communities, including measures such as speed bumps and roundabouts as safer alternatives.

Just 24 hours later, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said that nearly 1,000 people would lose their jobs unless the provincial government compensated them for lost income due to the speed camera ban.

This is practically an admission of guilt. ACE has been definitively proven to be a ‘money-making tool’.

Imagine this: what is the biggest challenge facing government departments at all levels? Funding. That’s right, money. Funding comes from government allocations, local taxes, and other channels. Taxes are the primary source. Therefore, annual tax increases are not surprising. But the question is, by how much? That’s a complex issue. When budgets are unbalanced, finding ways to generate extra money becomes crucial. Speed ​​cameras are a prime example. Speeding, violations, fines—all done in one smooth motion, without delay. Those penalized are forced to pay, even if unwillingly, because they broke the law first. In this way, funds are raised, and the offender has no grounds for complaint. It’s euphemistically called: a clever way to generate revenue, making the most of resources. This is why so many politicians flock to it.

Premier Ford has the courage to defy public opinion, think of the people, and has the魄力 (poise and decisiveness) to do so!

Appendix:ChatGPT statistics

This is a statistic from ChatGPT.

By Natmed  Nov.16, 2025

There are approximately 700 Automatic Speed ​​Enforcement (ASE) cameras in 40 municipalities in Ontario, Canada. These cameras have been in use for over 5 years. How many tickets have been issued in total? What is the total amount of money involved?

ChatGPT said:

I did not find it in publicly available reliable information.exactThe data shows the number of tickets and the total amount of fines issued by approximately 700 Automated Speed ​​Cameras (ASE/ACE) in 40 municipalities across Ontario over a period of more than 5 years of operation. Below are my findings and analysis:

Survey Results and Analysis

1. Regarding “more than 700 cameras”
   
   • Multiple news sources have reported that Ontario has deployed more than [number missing] troops.700 municipal ASE cameras。 Safety Magazine+2 Ontario Newsroom+2
   • The provincial government also mentioned similar figures in its statement. Ontario Newsroom
   • These cameras are located in multiple towns and districts within the province. Safety Magazine
   • The figure of “40 municipalities” is one you mentioned, but I haven’t found that the provincial government or the media consistently use the total number of “40 municipalities” to describe all the locations where ASE cameras are installed; reports usually say “municipalities across Ontario” or “some 700+ cameras deployed since 2019”. Safety Magazine+2Ontario Newsroom+2
2. Regarding the number of tickets
   
   • I have not found a public, provincially integrated data source report on the “total number of tickets issued by all ASE cameras” from 2019 (or some point in time) to the most recent.
   • There is local data, such as from Stouffville: a report states that its ASE project had issued approximately [number missing] by September 2025.40,370 tickets。 Stouffville Bullet Point News
   • Toronto: In the city of Toronto, 50 ASE cameras were deployed in the first year of the 2020–2021 season.227,322 tickets。 City of Toronto
   • However, these are only data from some towns/regions, and are insufficient to conclude the total number of fines issued by more than 700 cameras across the province over 5 years.
3. Regarding the total amount of fines
   
   • Similarly, no public provincial report (or media report) provides the total amount of fines accumulated for all these automatic speed cameras (all towns, all cameras combined).
   • Some specific cases and local data:
     
     • Reports from Toronto indicate that a single camera “has generated nearly C$7 million in fines.” Safety Magazine+251yimindiy+2
     • In Toronto, the “most profitable” automated speed enforcement cameras, which went into operation in the spring of 2022, have reportedly issued approximately [number missing] tickets.7 million Canadian dollars fine。 Waterloo Chinese
   • However, these figures are for individual cameras/municipalities (such as Toronto) and do not represent the total fines accumulated across the entire province’s “700+ cameras”.
4. Regarding the time frame (5 years)
   
   • The provincial government’s regulations allowing ASE were initially implemented through the relevant mechanism (or launched at an earlier stage) in 2019, and some media and reports have also mentioned the deployment “since 2019”. Safety Magazine
   • Therefore, if we consider 2025 as the starting point, it is indeed about 5 to 6 years. However, most of the publicly available reports are annual or regional reports, rather than a unified 5-year provincial cumulative summary.

in conclusion

• There is no publicly available, reliable, or authoritative data.Supports a detailed summary of “the total number of tickets issued + the cumulative amount of money involved in more than 700 ASE cameras in these 40 municipalities in Ontario over a 5-year period”.
• Most of the available data isLocal (municipal) level(such as Toronto, Stouffville, etc.), rather than the total of the entire province.
• The media and the provincial government focused more on the high fines levied on certain cameras (“one camera even incurred a fine of nearly 7 million Canadian dollars”) than on the total fines levied on all cameras across the province.

If you’d like, I can help you find the latest data (up to 2025 / the latest available data).Total number of ASE camera tickets and total fines across the provinceBased on publicly available reports, audit data, news reports, etc., I can make an estimate and compile a list of sources. Would you like me to help you with that?

You said:

yes

ChatGPT said:

Okay, I’ve checked some publicly available information and compiled it.Ontario ASE / Automated Speed ​​CamerasThe latest (as of 2025) number of fines and cumulative amount of penalties are available, but it must be noted that they are not currently publicly disclosed.Covering all 700+ cameras, 40 towns and citiesA detailed, unified, and complete provincial report on “Total Fines + Total Penalties Over 5 Years” is required. Below is the information, estimates, and key limitations I was able to find.

Latest key data found

1. Number of tickets (number of violations)
   
   • According to a provincial government report (cited by the Ford government), from2020 to 2024ASE penalty from163,852 sheetsGrowth toApproximately 1.3 million sheets。 Stouffville Bullet Point News+2 CityNews Toronto+2
   • This means that the total number of fines over the five years (2020–2024) is approximately **~1.3 million** (the provincial government gives this figure as the total, rather than adding them up year by year, as this would have too much error).
2. Total amount of fines
   
   • According to the provincial government’s report, these 1.3 million tickets correspond to approximately52.5 million Canadian dollars(That is, the total fine is approximately $52.5 million Canadian dollars). Stouffville Bullet Point News+2CityNews Toronto+2
   • This figure was reported by the media as “cost to drivers”. CityNews Toronto
   • This is an estimated total amount of fines cited across the provincial level (all municipalities/all ASE cameras).
3. Regarding “700+ cameras” and “40 towns”
   
   • According to official provincial government documents (announcements), since 2019, “more than 700 municipal ASE cameras” have been deployed.Approximately 40 municipalities。 Laura Smith, MPP+2 Narcity+2
   • This is the figure mentioned by the provincial government when it announced the ban on these cameras (in 2025). Safety Magazine+1

Analysis and Limitations

• Estimated vs. Actual SumThe figure of $52.5 million CAD is the total “cost to drivers” provided by the provincial government, but this is not necessarily equivalent to…All fines were fully recovered.(There may be outstanding fines/not yet collected).
• Time spanThe provincial government’s data covers the 2020–2024 window, while you previously said “more than 5 years.” If we assume ASE was deployed starting in 2019, then the 2019 data might not be included in the total number of penalties mentioned above.
• Differentiated townsThe ASE program has different start times, number of cameras, and operational strategies (mobile vs. fixed equipment, fine management, violation rates, etc.) in different municipalities. Therefore, the “1.3 M fines / $52.5 M” given by the provincial government is a macro-level provincial estimate, rather than a precise statistic accumulated for each municipality or each camera individually.
• Transparency and ReportingSome places (such as Toronto, Ottawa, etc.) have their own reports/audits, but these are local data and do not represent the whole province.
  
  • For example, the Ottawa Auditor General report provides annual violation figures and revenues for 2020–2024: ASE revenue in 2024 was approximately $29,038,280. Auditor General of Ottawa
  • Toronto has also disclosed in its public information the number of ASE cameras (reaching 150 by 2025), etc. City of Toronto+1

Conclusion (Estimation)

• Estimated total number of fines (2020–2024): ≈ 1.3 million sheets
  
• Estimated total fine (borne by the driver): ≈ 52.5 million Canadian dollars
  
• Scope of application:More than 700 cameras are installed across approximately 40 municipalities (according to provincial data).

If you’d like, I can also help you check.Each major municipality (e.g., Toronto, Ottawa, Waterloo, etc.)The ASE camera ticket count and fine revenue are broken down more precisely, making it more relevant to your “40 municipalities” distribution. Want me to do it?