It’s the scary close call familiar to anyone who’s ridden a streetcar in Toronto: just as the vehicle stops to let passengers off, a driver blows past the open doors and nearly runs them down.

For years, that kind of dangerous driving has been met with little in the way of deterrence aside from streetcar operators leaning angrily on their horns. But that could be finally set to change.

On Monday the Ontario PC government introduced legislation that would allow the TTC to install automatic enforcement cameras on its streetcars to catch and ticket drivers who unsafely pass.

Although details have yet to be worked out and the TTC has yet to approve a plan, if installed the devices would function similar to the automated red light and speed enforcement cameras already in place throughout Toronto.

The framework for the streetcar cameras was included in the Moving Ontarians More Safely Act, which would also strengthen penalties for street racing and stunt driving, and is currently making its way through the legislature.

The move follows years of complaints from TTC users, and repeated requests from the transit agency for the province to grant it the authority to put a camera system on its fleet.

“Our government has heard loud and clear from the TTC that commuters are anxious about boarding streetcars,” said Natasha Tremblay, a spokesperson for Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney. “This measure is long overdue.”

Improperly passing a streetcar is already illegal under the Highway Traffic Act and comes with a fine of $105, inclusive of victim surcharge fees, or $175 if the offence occurs in a community safety zone. Drivers also receive three demerit points.

But TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said enforcement “has proven difficult” because charging the driver requires witnesses to observe the incident and record the licence plate number.

“Drivers passing open streetcar doors has been a concern for as long as we’ve operated streetcars in mixed traffic,” he said. “Allowing us to use newer technologies will be a further deterrent for people who might want to race past an open door.”

Streetcars are equipped with signage and flashing red lights warning drivers not to pass when the vehicle is at a stop, but drivers often disregard them.

Between 2016 and 2020, the transit agency recorded 55 incidents of streetcar passengers being hit as they boarded or exited. They included a girl, reported to be 12 years old, who was seriously hurt when a driver passed open streetcar doors on Dundas Street East in 2016.

There’s no timeline for when the new camera system could be in place, or an estimate of how much it would cost. The TTC has already analyzed available technology but says it will need to consult with the province and city to determine who would be responsible for issuing the tickets and administering the system.

The agency would also have to retrofit all of its 204 streetcars with the cameras, and likely include them as part of the design criteria for any new vehicles it purchases.

TTC chair Jaye Robinson, who introduced a board motion in 2019 calling for streetcar cameras, said she was “very pleased to see these much needed changes.”

“We have to continue to be proactive, especially where the safety of Torontonians is concerned,” she said.

Ben Spurr is a Toronto-based reporter covering transportation. Reach him by email at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter: @BenSpurr