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Letter: Photo radars are a cash cow

Cash Cow – “One regarded or exploited as a reliable source of money or income.
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Cash Cow – “One regarded or exploited as a reliable source of money or income.” Do you remember when the City of Red Deer first introduced the photo radar program as a safety measure and publicly promised they would not turn the program into a “cash cow”? It’s refreshing to know that Alberta Transportation Minister, Brian Mason, recently announced the review of each and every municipality’s use of photo radar because it has become apparent that the program is not being used as intended, “photo radar” was originally intended by the province to be used in “high risk” and high collision areas only. So when you see Red Deer’s highly prized, relied upon (and now included in the city’s budget) source of income, being deployed behind bushes in school zones where you seldom see any children at play you have to ask why. Why are you hiding? Why are you even there in the first place? As that location does not meet the Provincial mandate for photo-radar placement. You are there because of larger fines in school zones and you hide so drivers don’t see you for the repeat “business” to the tune of many millions of dollars a year. It’s not for the safety of our children or other drivers, or collision reduction, you are there expressly for the income it produces. The same can be said for many of the random spots where you hide. The excessive ticketing has finally caught the attention of the Provincial Minister of Transportation and perhaps now the city of Red Deer will keep their original word and confine the deployment of their highly prized and relied upon source of income to the areas it was intended for: high risk and high collision areas.

Evan Greely, Red Deer