Stratford asked police to crack down on speeders — and they did
'The town felt the number of tickets issued in 2017 were far below what they should have been'
Your chance of getting a speeding ticket in Stratford, P.E.I., has increased lately, according to Stratford Mayor David Dunphy.
The mayor became concerned when he saw the statistics for December 2017; police had issued only four speeding tickets for the month.
"That was a bit of a red flag for us, so we met with the staff sergeant," to discuss the situation, Dunphy said.
"It's fair to say that the town felt the number of tickets issued in 2017 were far below what they should have been," said Dunphy.
"So the RCMP said we're going to make a concerted effort in 2018 to make sure we have more of a presence."
And the stats show they have.
Tickets quadruple
Last year, only 45 tickets were handed out from January to March, Dunphy said, a substantial drop from previous years. After town officials met with the RCMP, the number quadrupled this year to just over 200 tickets during the same period.
Speeding is a common complaint from residents, Dunphy said. The town has tried to do something about it, installing portable speed humps in some subdivisions and signs that urge drivers to slow down.
Because Stratford encourages active transportation such as walking or cycling, it wants residents to feel safe doing those activities on the road, Dunphy stressed.
More P.E.I. News
With files from Laura Chapin