SURPRISE: Some Bus Drivers, Police in Chicago Not Required to Pay Speed Camera Fines

Aaron Cole
by Aaron Cole

A Chicago Tribune investigation has uncovered that the city’s speed cameras have nabbed school bus drivers, police, public employees and city bus drivers more than 8,000 times over the past two years.

In most cases the tickets were passed on to the drivers, but in some cases — bus drivers and police driving unmarked cars who could justify speeding — those fines were either paid by the Chicago Transit Authority or waived altogether.

The Chicago Tribune’s fine, fine, fine reporting work uncovered 714 bus violations and more than 2,000 police tickets in two years.

Chicago has an interesting history with traffic enforcement cameras. The city’s contractor was sued — by the city — for $300 million this year after it was revealed that the company bribed city officials for the contract. The company’s CEO stepped down when it became clear the company paid more than $2 million in bribes for the $124 million contract.

According to the newspaper, more than 2 million tickets have been issued by the cameras, resulting in more than $81 million in fines ($40.50 on average, per ticket) in the two years since the cameras were installed.

A state spokeswoman said public employees caught speeding by the cameras receive the fines, just like any driver.

A CTA spokeswoman said bus drivers are subject to a different disciplinary procedure when they’re caught speeding. Bus drivers’ tickets are paid by the agency.

(Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)


Aaron Cole
Aaron Cole

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  • Audiofyl Audiofyl on Dec 30, 2015

    You forgot to mention rahm's motorcade who is slightly under a microscope for other things at the moment.

  • PentastarPride PentastarPride on Dec 30, 2015

    Why would there be any justification of a transit bus to violate speed and traffic control laws? Mass transit operators are supposed to be a cut above the average passenger car driver in skill. Hmmm. I live by this motto: Better to be a few minutes late driving prudently than being late hours, days (hospitalization), or even permanently (death) due to reckless driving in an attempt to beat the clock and getting into a wreck as a result. I know, it sounds like a banal line from an old, well-worn 1980's driver safety VHS tape still being shown in high school driving courses across the country, but it's effective.

  • AK AK on Dec 31, 2015

    Chicago is a toilet

  • TrailerTrash TrailerTrash on Dec 31, 2015

    "professionals" and "analyst" all wonder aloud in the news how Trump can be as popular as he is. After all, he says such outlandish things!!! But it is simple, illogical and openly morally wrong exceptions to every day laws and justice everybody else has to follow, but not these, the lucky chosen in-group and connected, that have brought the common folk to a deep anger. Anybody but the crooked thieves we now have. They all accept responsibility, for everything from Benghazi to the VA horrors. Yet all these months and years later nobody loses their jobs. Everybody gets placed onto "paid leave" and then quietly, after the headlines have moved along to the next crisis of the day...they get transferred to a newer, sometimes better position. Wash rinse repeat. And they wonder why the people are angry.

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