37 city workers caught running red lights and speeding in 2022, with taxpayers footing the bill
CBC
Thirty-seven City of Hamilton vehicles were caught on camera running red lights and speeding in 2022, racking up at least $5,850 in fines and resulting in potential unpaid suspensions for workers.
But the workers behind the wheel didn't pay for their tickets — the city did.
Data obtained by CBC Hamilton shows of the 37 workers who broke the law, 18 were caught by red light cameras and 19 were caught by automatic speed enforcement (ASE) cameras.
Red light camera tickets cost $325, which means the city would have been fined around $5,850 for those violations.
It's unclear what the city paid for ASE violations because those tickets vary depending on the driver's speed.
Emily Trotta, a city spokesperson with the public works department, said the average cost of a ticket during a pilot program in 2020 and 2021 was $70.
Applying that average cost to the 19 city workers caught speeding shows those speeding tickets may have cost taxpayers another $1,330.
Trotta said there are practical reasons why the city covers the bill.
"It's not always possible to determine who was driving the vehicle for the instance the violation was committed," she wrote.
"Also, tickets paid by employees could result in employees challenging the ticket and as the ticket is issued to the City of Hamilton, not the employee, it would result in the employee representing the City of Hamilton in court arguing against the City of Hamilton."
Norm Miller, another spokesperson with the public works department, said city workers caught running red lights get 20 points on their employment record and receive a one-day, unpaid suspension. Miller did not confirm how many employees were suspended, however.
Employees caught by automatic speed enforcement cameras get 15 points on their employment file and no suspension because it takes 20 points to be suspended.
Trotta said when workers hit 50 points, they are fired. She did not say if any employees had been fired as a result last year.
Workers from the public works department were responsible for 29 of the 37 violations.
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running Game
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing Game
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic Game
Four in five of the wildfires so far in Saskatchewan this year have been caused by humans — the vast majority of them accidentally. But experts say part of the reason they've spread so far, so fast, is another human factor: climate change driven by the burning of fossil fuels.
Just a block away from the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan there's a garden uniting green thumbs in Lloydminster.
Shelley Lindaas has long dreamed of seeing a Kermode bear cub in person.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) report outlining the events leading to the death of Erixon Kabera answered some questions for his family and friends, but many remain.
Syed Hassan says he doesn't like to complain much. But when his wife told him she got a parking ticket on Thursday night, he knew he needed to speak out.
Following the public outcry over the Jian Ghomeshi case, some legal scholars and sexual assault survivor advocates lauded changes made to the Criminal Code that would prevent defence lawyers from surprising complainants at trial with past emails or text messages with the defendant.
The Waterloo Region District School Board has been talking a lot about the word "family" this month.
At Pedro's Island Eatery in North Rustico, owner Pedro Gameiro has long been not a fan of using seed oils for frying
The parking lot of the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre in Whitehorse was full on Friday, and the building surrounded by well-dressed young people and their proud families. Despite the smoky conditions in the city, there was much to celebrate.
Toronto has moved one step closer to allowing fiveplexes and sixplexes in neighbourhoods across the city.
Warning: Some readers may find photos in this story distressing.
Fifty years ago this fall the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States met in a castle outside Paris for three days of meetings, at the conclusion of which they issued the Declaration of Rambouillet, a 15-point statement of principles and commitments.
An Iranian woman living in Newfoundland and Labrador says she's watching attacks between Israel and Iran with worry for her family back home.