Rules change for City of Columbia red-light camera violations

On Monday, August 19, 2013, the City of Columbia approved a bill to change their policy on red-light camera violations. City council members decided to drop the requirement of having a clear camera image of a motorist’s face to issue the summons for running a red light. They are now only requiring a license plate number.

In the City of Columbia there are 4 intersections that currently have red-light cameras, Providence Road and Broadway; Stadium and Forum Boulevard; Stadium and Providence; and Stadium and Worley Street.

The city issued 4,282 citations for red-light violations between September 2009, when the city first started the program, and September 2012. Due to the policy during that time, 7,873 incidents did not result in citations because there was not a clear image of the drivers’ face. This caused the city to lose approximately $200,000.00 of revenue between 2010 and 2012.

The new policy also changed the red-light violation to be treated like a parking ticket. Meaning no points would be assessed to your driver’s license and you would not face any jail time. A red-light violation carries a fine of $120.00. A portion of that fine goes to Gatso, the company who installed the cameras.