WHEREAS Section 34 of The Highways and Transportation Act, 1997 states that every person who breaks, cuts, fills or otherwise alters or damages a public improvement is guilty of an offence and liable upon summary conviction to a fine as set forth in Category A in Schedule A; and

WHEREAS Schedule A of The Highways and Transportation Act, 1997 only provides for a fine to maximum of $200.00 for a first offence; and

WHEREAS people who cause damage to municipal roads are unlikely to be deterred by a fine of only $200.00;

BE IT RESOLVED that SARM lobby the Provincial Government to review the fines for such offences to bring them in line with those permitted pursuant to Sections 8 and 381 of The Municipalities Act.

RESPONSE FROM HONORABLE DON McMORRIS, MINISTER OF HIGHWAYS & INFRASTRUCTURE

This Resolution requests the Ministry review fines for offences regarding breaks, cuts, fills or otherwise altering or damaging to a public improvement.

The Ministry will review the offence description as well as the fines related to those offences in the next review of The Highways and Transportation  Act.