Mayor Tory has asked Premier Wynne to let TTC special constables to direct traffic and issue tickets. The open letter conveys the approval of this scheme by the TTC board on December 20. But any such extended power requires a change to the Highway Traffic Act and the Provincial Offences Act. In his letter, which is dated Jan. 2, Tory says he believes that giving the TTC’s 50 enforcement officers the power to direct traffic during service disruptions will “keep transit and traffic as a whole moving and ensure that TTC riders get more reliable service.” Tory also says that by giving TTC enforcement officers the power to direct traffic, Toronto police officers will be freed up top focus on “other key priority areas.” Special constables employed by GO Transit and Ottawa’s OC Transpo already have similar powers as the ones being requested by Tory.
I think this makes a lot of sense, for the same reasons that having special constables handle parking enforcement means less full-service police officers need to do this. Ofttimes the special constables are at these locations anyway, they’re just not allowed to take these actions.