Taxpayers could eventually be on the hook as Toronto's speedcams keep getting cut down

With Toronto's pole-mounted speed cameras vandalized again and again in the past year, taxpayers may be stuck paying more for future damage, a city councillor says.

The speedcams have been "severely vandalized" 25 times since last fall, according to the City of Toronto. That includes one camera on Parkside Drive that's been cut down six times between November 2024 and July of this year.

Under the city's current contract with Redflex Traffic Solutions, the vendor is responsible for repairs and installing replacement cameras, as well as the associated costs. The contract goes until July 2029 with a maintenance period that ends in August 2031.

But Coun. Dianne Saxe told CBC Toronto the high frequency of incidents could affect the cost of future contracts.

"It could make the next contract