Red light cameras are coming to British Columbia intersections, but how much will we be paying?

             UPDATE    

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"PHOENIX, AZ—April 30, 2010—Redflex Traffic Systems (Canada) Ltd (“Redflex”) announced its first ever Canadian contract in British Columbia. Redflex and Redflex Traffic Systems, the largest provider of road safety cameras in the U.S., are both wholly owned subsidiaries of Redflex Holdings

Redflex has contracted with the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) to supply, install and maintain 140 intersection safety camera systems and provide the Image and Infringement Processing System (IIPS).

ICBC is a Crown Corporation that provides automobile insurance and is also responsible for driver licensing, vehicle licensing and registration for over three million drivers across the Province of British Columbia. The Intersection Safety Camera program is an integral road safety initiative operated by the police in BC in partnership with ICBC to reduce the frequency of crashes associated with running a red light in various communities across the Province. The contract is for an initial term of six years with two additional two-year extension options. Redflex was selected after a rigorous assessment process that included a Proof of Performance phase that required Redflex to install and operate six intersection safety systems that were closely evaluated by ICBC.
According to the ICBC 2007 report, on average a fatality occurred every 21 hours on British Columbia’s roads. Canada’s Road Safety Vision 2010 calls for a 20% decrease in the number killed or seriously injured in speed or intersection-related crashes."

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Redflex signed the contract back on April 30, 2010;

BC Liberals quietly rewrite the Motor Vehicle Act to include Redflex cameras as being legally recognized devices by the Courts by law enforcement officers, on December 6, 2010;

Attorney General Mike de Jong steps down to run for Premier offering a "dialogue with British Columbians"

Macquarie pursues purchase of ........ Redflex, after having suddenly dumped the Sea to Sky Highway Project

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Division 41 — Speed Monitoring and Traffic Light Safety

Devices prescribed

41.01 (1)  Repealed. [B.C. Reg. 162/2001.]

(2)  For the purpose of prescribing a traffic light safety device under section 83.1 (8) (b) of the Act, the following are prescribed:

(a) the Gatso Red Light Camera type 36mST-MC-3LG;

(b) the Gatso Red Light Camera type 36mST-MC-3LGA;

(c) the REDFLEXred-MK4-HDX-200-1100-RLC.

[en. B.C. Reg. 215/99, App. 1, s. 3; am. B.C. Regs. 238/99; 162/2001; 353/2010, Sch. s. 1 (a).]

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Vancouver Sun News Alert for Wednesday January 12th, 2011:
ICBC launched a major expansion of its red-light camera program Tuesday with more locations, better equipment and a much greater chance of getting caught. The $20-million expansion will see the total number of intersection cameras in the province rise from 120 to 140.

The Concessionaire agreement can't be too far behind

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For those that have read this blog before you might have skipped over a previous post called:

Are we paying too much of a Shadow Toll to drive the Sea to Sky Highway?

 Down near the bottom of the Post I had included this: 

"Macquarie isn't a small company, here's a link to show just how large they are, and what they are involved with under various subsidiaries, starting on page 3 to 22."

Since I wrote the above Post, Macquarie has now sold its interest in the Sea To Sky Highway Improvement Project complete with the hidden Shadow Tolls, which allows it to move on to other "projects" to make more money for its shareholders.  The point is, the reason why I was able to find the list on the internet was because Macquarie was considering purchasing a company called the RedFlex Group.

RedFlex Group specialty in North America is providing solutions for traffic via Red Light Cameras, capturing not only the license plates of those that run red lights, but the dramatic, sometimes deadly results of those who run red lights.

Using "BC red light camera Macquarie" to search Google, the first hit that comes up is with ICBC, the second one is BCSportsBike.com, the third one is with CBC News and all the rest have to do with Macquarie and Redflex Group buying and selling.

For those astute at using their GPS, and to save yourselves from having to pay for running a red light, or for paying for not doing the posted speed limits in School and Playground zones there's always the POI (Points of Interests) for Dummies that can be created.


These Red Light Cameras will not come cheaply, the capital costs will be borne by taxpayers, but the maintenance and administration of the ticketing will in all likelihood be done via another one of those long term Concessionaire agreements with an added touch, I'd bet, of a cut of the "revenue" going to the government.