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Mason added that contractors who don’t comply will face hefty fines of $500 to $25,000, depending on how often they are found in violation of the new regulations.

“From the context of the City of Calgary,” said Nenshi during a telephone interview Friday evening, “we already have a policy similar to the provincial government’s new policy, which is we are supposed to cover up the speed-reduction signs and we are supposed to remove the lane closures when workers are not present if there’s no safety issue.”

The operative words here are “supposed to.” Clearly, it isn’t being enforced.

As a result of his duties, Nenshi says he “drives a lot” — on average about 300 kilometres most Saturdays.

“Like other motorists, it drives me crazy when there’s signage and it looks like there’s no work being done,” says the mayor, who admits to calling and complaining to the Calgary roads department when he sees a violation of that rule.

“If I do encounter a road sign, they hear from me. I’m sure some of the folks in roads, if they see my number flash up on their call display just cringe and go, ‘What did he see now?'”

Obviously, much more needs to be done to enforce these rules that are clearly being ignored by roads crews and contractors all over the city.

“How rigorous we are about it has not always been consistent,” admits Nenshi. “We do have to be more rigorous about it but one little caution: sometimes you can’t see the safety problem. So it might be a situation where we’re digging under the road and it might be a little unstable, so that’s why the speed restriction needs to stay in place even when workers are not there, so it’s not always immediately visible.”