Promises made by Ontario Premier Doug Ford to buy Highway 407 and remove the tolls to help ease chronic gridlock have so far come up empty,
Oshawa MPP Jennifer French, the NDP Critic for Infrastructure, Transportation & Highways, called out the government’s inaction on Highway 407 as the region faces some of the “worst traffic worldwide.”
“People deserve a government that gets them where they need to go, safely and efficiently,” said French. “While people are stuck in gridlock across the GTA, the 407 sits half-empty – and this premier isn’t doing anything about it.”
Except that that allows every vehicle to be tracked. Anywhere, not just in the city center, since a transmitter elsewhere would be able to ping transponders too. The privacy hit is way too high a cost in return for a teeny reduction in congestion (because most people will just continue driving, pay the charges, and then complain they can’t afford other stuff. See also: price of gas. The stick approach to public transit does not work).
If your car is less than 15 years old, it’s location data (and way, way more information, like your sex life) is already being gathered and sold my the manufacturer. If your car is 15-35 years old, it’s decreasingly probable. (And less data is collected).
No active congestion pricing system uses transponder, they all use cameras. Not sure why Toronto would be different?
If you cannot see the difference between an invasion of privacy that was done without permission and could be curtailed if sensible laws were passed, and one that is mandated by law, then I give up.
I’d you can’t see the difference between between an invasion of privacy that’s a made up scenario in your head and isn’t present at other congestion pricing cities; and an existing one that already plagues cars, I give up.
It is a privledge to drive not a right. Walmart keeps cameras on you from the moment you enter to hold accountability to theft and other actions like violence or harassment. Congestion, speed, and red light cameras serve a similar purpose on the roadways, holding drivers accountable for their actions.