Toronto appears determined to crack down on motorists who run red lights.
    
The city's public works committee voted Wednesday to ask the provincial minister of transportation for tough new fines and penalties for running red lights.
    
The city also plans to triple the number of intersections with red-light cameras to almost 100.
       
Councillors want fines for red-light scofflaws increased to $500 from $180.
 
They will also ask the province to increase demerit points and suspend drivers who are repeat offenders or who cause injuries by committing the offence.

The stiffer penalties, they say, will help save lives.
      
Coun. Glenn De Baeremaeker met recently with the officials at the ministry of transportation and the attorney general's office, and said provincial officials welcome the changes. 

"I have to say, they were excited, they were encouraging, they were supportive of everything that you see here before us today," he said Wednesday.

Red-light cameras have cut accidents by more than half in intersections where they have been installed, De Baeremaeker said. He described the cameras as a phenomenal success.
 
"The angle-type collisions or the T-bone accidents that are the most deadly the ones — that cause the most pain and suffering to the people that we love — have been reduced by 66 per cent," he said.

Councillors are also demanding a traffic-regulation refresher course for violators.

The proposal must be approved by city council before it goes to the province.