Regina police report 44% increase in speeding tickets from automated cameras

A new report from Regina police says speeding tickets from photo radar machines have increased by 44 per cent year-over-year.

More than 11,000 automated speeding tickets have been issued for school zones in the city in 2024 as of the end of November, an increase of 34 per cent from the same period in 2023.

Meanwhile, photo radar tickets from high-speed zones in the city have nearly doubled in that time period compared to 2023, rising to 3,373 from 1,752.

The numbers were presented to the Regina Board of Police Commissioners on Thursday morning as part of its monthly crime report.

Regina Police Service Deputy Chief Lorilee Davies credited the increase to improvements to the photo radar system itself.

"We had some technology issues with the cameras previously that resulted in reduced numbers," she said. "Those issues have been addressed and so that I think accounts for a large part of the increase."

Photo speed enforcement was first launched in Saskatchewan in 2014. The cameras are deployed on highways and school zones across several cities, and work areas throughout the province.

Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) is responsible for the program. It stated last year that the cameras were initially plagued by poor batteries and damaged lenses.

There are currently two cameras in use in Regina school zones. One of them alternates between Judge Bryant School on Dewdney Ave. and Campbell Collegiate/Massey School on Massey Rd. The other alternates between five school zones.

Regina's high-speed zone cameras are placed along the Ring Road.

In contrast with the year as a whole, November 2024 saw a decrease in tickets compared to November 2023. Davies attributed that to poor road conditions that month, alongside snow preventing cameras from reading licence plate numbers.

"We do our best to educate people about ensuring that their licence plates by law do have to be clean and clear," Davies said.