Inside the Processing Centre That Handles Ontario’s Traffic Camera Tickets

Many Ontario municipalities don’t process their own automated speed and red light camera tickets. Instead, the work is centralized at the City of Toronto’s ASE/Red Light Camera Processing Centre. From reviewing images to issuing Provincial Offence Notices, this shared service model comes with a cost per ticket, and raises questions about efficiency, oversight, and transparency.

How Ontario’s traffic camera tickets are processed and what it costs

In Ontario, many municipalities do not process their own automated speed enforcement (ASE) or red light camera tickets. Instead, this work is centralized at the City of Toronto’s ASE/Red Light Camera Processing Centre, a facility that handles ticket review, validation, and issuance for Toronto and numerous partner municipalities.

What the processing centre does

The centre’s Provincial Offences Officers review each ticket image, verify that the legal requirements are met, and confirm details such as location, date, time, and violation type. Once validated, the system issues a Provincial Offence Notice to the registered owner of the vehicle.

Which municipalities use this service

Smaller municipalities and those without their own processing infrastructure often contract with Toronto for this service. The arrangement allows them to operate automated enforcement programs without building their own ticket processing systems, staffing, or training programs.

The cost per ticket

Municipalities that use Toronto’s processing centre typically pay a per ticket fee for each notice issued. The amount is set by service agreements and covers the cost of review, validation, and administrative handling. While the specific fee may vary, it represents an ongoing operational cost that is deducted from total ticket revenue before any funds are allocated to other uses.

Why this matters

This centralized model has implications for cost efficiency, program scalability, and transparency. Understanding who processes the tickets, and what it costs, helps the public see the full picture of how automated enforcement revenue is generated and shared.

Questions for accountability

  • What is the exact per ticket fee charged to municipalities?
  • How much total revenue does Toronto’s processing centre generate from other municipalities?
  • Are the service agreements and cost breakdowns publicly available?

Related Questions

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