Mayoral candidate Gord Steeves steered his campaign towards the subject of photo radar once again, saying public confidence in system is eroding.

Drivers think it's a revenue generator, not a safety program, Steeves said, hammering home his dislike for the program.

"When photo radar was introduced in Winnipeg in 2002, it was done to promote public safety but the focus has clearly shifted to grabbing cash from unsuspecting drivers,” Steeves said.

“If we don’t make changes soon, the city will face the expense of having to refund fines collected from wrongfully-issued tickets en masse.”

A press release from Steeves' campaign office said "the practice of predatory photo radar enforcement must cease before Winnipeggers lose faith in the program entirely."

Drivers are paying the price for deficiencies in traffic engineering standards, such as the improper setting of speed limits, poor speed limit signage and improper amber light timing at intersections, the release stated.

There must be signage on both sides of the road when the road is divided by a median, including speed limit signs, the release stated.

"That doesn’t happen in Winnipeg, and as a result the photo radar program issues 400 per cent more tickets (on a per capita basis) than in other jurisdictions as a result. That’s not fair for drivers," Steeves' release said.

"Winnipeg’s four-second amber lights, set regardless of the speed limit, result in 750 per cent more photo radar tickets in 80 km/h speed zones. That’s not fair for drivers.

"There are known cases where a vehicle can receive two photo radar tickets from stations only several hundred metres apart. That is not a fair enforcement technique and it must stop."

Steeves said speed limits are artificially low on some streets, and that is driven by politics not sound policy.

"When traffic engineers used the nationally recognized standard to recommend the speed limit be raised, politicians ignored their advice. That’s not fair for drivers," his release stated, adding t is clear photo radar enforcement has become a tax grab.

"Gord Steeves will ensure photo radar enforcement is fair and promotes safety first."