Montreal police ticketing drivers who block intersections

Montreal police are handing out tickets to drivers blocking busy intersections during a week-long crackdown.

The operation is taking place during morning and afternoon rush hours near the Jacques-Cartier Bridge.

The goal is to protect cyclists and pedestrians by stopping cars from prematurely advancing through intersections, which also impedes traffic.

Drivers should ensure they have enough space to cross when the light is green so they don't get stuck in an intersection and should not cross at yellow lights.

Tickets for the offence run from $110 to $175, and drivers crossing at red lights will also lose three demerit points.

Police are not only trying to stop cars from blocking traffic but also trying to prevent collisions between pedestrians, cyclists and cars.

There is an increase in people travelling to work by car or bicycle, and the ongoing work continues on the La Fontaine Tunnel is putting more pressure on the Jacques-Cartier Bridge.

"The problem is persistent, so we did a lot of interventions here and gave a few tickets. But unfortunately, there are still intersections blocked by the cars," said Cmdr. Krisztina Baloch of Montreal police. "We want to change the behaviours because spring is already here, and we are going to have more pedestrians and cyclists in the street."

Police say there are signs warning motorists about this blitz, although CTV reporters in the field said they did not see many of them. They say they also have announcements on radio stations warning of the operation.