With the P.E.I. government having recently increased the fines for speeding, the City of Charlottetown is looking to take advantage by hiring more police officers.

Coun. Mitchell Tweel said higher fines don't help without enforcement.
(CBC)

Last month, the province nearly doubled the fine for speeding, raising it from $57.50 to $107.50. The new maximum for ignoring posted speed limits in construction and school zones will be $195.

Charlottetown Coun. Mitchell Tweel said stiffer fines are only part of the solution.
 
"Fines can be $1,000, but if you don't have enforcement, we've got to beef up the human resources when it comes to enforcement," Tweel said following this week's council meeting.

"To have just three police officers dedicated to the traffic division in the City of Charlottetown with this size geographically is not enough. It's not enough for the old city."

'There is a lot of speeding here in the province. I'm probably guilty of it myself.'— Transportation Minister Ron MacKinley

Charlottetown police committee chair Danny Redmond said he's trying to convince his council colleagues to approve money in next year's budget for two more police officers.

Mayor Clifford Lee supports that plan, but said he's not a big fan of a dedicated traffic unit.

"What we've done by creating a traffic unit is we've got three or four people in traffic and they're the only people responsible for enforcement of the Highway Traffic Act."

Redmond said that might be the perception, but it's not the case. He said speeders are a top priority for all officers, not just those dedicated to the traffic unit.

Province also increasing enforcement

Transportation Minister Ron MacKinley is giving truck drivers in the province warning they are going to be watched more closely for speeding.

The province's two commercial vehicle enforcement patrol cars will soon be equipped with radar speed guns. Right now, the patrol cars are limited to checking trucks for load size, inspection records and driver credentials.

MacKinley said the move is partly designed help RCMP on their patrols.

"Your RCMP will probably be able to put a little more focus on our passenger cars," he said.

"There is a lot of speeding here in the province. I'm probably guilty of it myself, but it's not the safe way to be."

MacKinley said the commercial vehicle officers will be limited to ticketing big trucks for now, but noted they do have the power to ticket all vehicles and he won't rule out the possibility they could be ticketing passenger cars in the future.