The City of Ottawa says it's ready to roll out photo radar as soon as it gets the green light from the province, expected later this fall.

"We'll be ready to go once the regulations are in place," said Phil Landry, Ottawa's manager of traffic services.

The former Liberal government passed legislation back in 2017 to allow cities to place the cameras in school zones and community safety zones, but municipalities including Ottawa have been waiting for provincial regulations before they can start handing out fines.

The province is now asking for public input by Oct. 3 on those regulations, which are expected to cover everything from the technology itself to how images can be used as evidence.

The Ministry of Transportation has indicated it will give municipalities the go-ahead by the end of the year.

Ottawa has been working with the City of Toronto and other municipalities to procure the technology and share a ticket processing centre, much the way it does with its red light cameras, Landry said.

Ottawa took part in Toronto's tendering process that awarded Redflex Traffic Systems Canada the contract earlier this summer to install and operate that city's photo radar technology.

Phil Landry, Ottawa's manager of traffic services. (Hillary Johnstone/CBC News)

As for the Ottawa pilot project, which already has council's approval, Landry said it will look at the benefits of mobile versus fixed photo radar, as well as the cost and potential financial benefits of the cameras.

Staff haven't settled on precise locations for the first speed cameras, Landry said. They will use the information gathered from the pilot project to determine how to best curb speeding near schools, he said.