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Decision by the Santa Catarina government halts million-dollar project for the resumption of electronic monitoring on state highways and keeps roads without speed cameras after more than a decade. Suspension of the contract impacts plan that envisioned installation of equipment in sections considered critical and near urban areas.
The decision by the Government of Santa Catarina to suspend the contract for the resumption of speed cameras halted a project estimated at R$ 116 million, which planned the installation of electronic monitoring at 230 points distributed across 36 state highways in Santa Catarina.
Few days after the official announcement of the return of the equipment, Governor Jorginho Mello (PL) ordered the complete cancellation of the initiative, keeping the state without electronic speed control on state roads after 14 years.
In a statement, the state administration reported that the suspension ends the administrative process linked to the contract previously signed for the implementation of the new road monitoring system in different regions of Santa Catarina.
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Furthermore, the government reinforced the understanding of not allowing the installation of speed cameras on state highways in Santa Catarina, extending the guideline also to future similar proposals related to electronic monitoring.
Speed camera contract envisioned monitoring on 36 state highways
Structured by the Santa Catarina Department of Infrastructure and Mobility, the project planned the installation of electronic speed bumps and fixed speed cameras in sections classified as critical by the technical teams responsible for traffic studies on state highways.
Part of the equipment would replace old structures installed in urbanized areas, especially in regions near schools and segments with a higher number of accidents recorded by road monitoring agencies.
With a planned duration of three years, the contract had been signed with the Consórcio Vias Catarinenses, selected after a bidding process that took about seven months until the official definition of the responsible company.
Under the agreement, it would be up to the consortium to execute both the implementation and maintenance of the electronic monitoring equipment planned for different strategic points of the state roads included in the program.
The suspension occurred after the resumption of speed cameras generated debates among drivers, sectors related to road transport, and political representatives.
Since the announcement of the contract, the return of electronic monitoring had been discussed due to the long period without state speed control equipment in Santa Catarina.
Santa Catarina remains without state speed cameras after 14 years
Santa Catarina removed the speed cameras from state highways about 14 years ago, and since then, traffic monitoring has mainly depended on in-person operations conducted by the Military Highway Police in areas considered more dangerous.
During this period, occasional enforcement actions replaced permanent electronic control on state roads, although road safety experts continue to advocate for the use of these systems to reduce accidents caused by speeding.
Although the government announced the complete cancellation of the contract, the state administration did not detail whether there will be a replacement with another enforcement model or operational reinforcement on the roads.
The official statement was limited to informing that the decision came directly from Governor Jorginho Mello and that the current management’s understanding is against the installation of this type of equipment on state highways.
Project included electronic speed bumps and automatic monitoring
The resumption of speed cameras had been presented as an important change in the monitoring policy of Santa Catarina’s roads.
Documents related to the bidding indicated that the equipment would be distributed in strategic sections defined after technical analyses related to vehicle flow and accident history on state roads.
Among the planned points were urbanized areas crossed by state highways, locations near schools, and segments considered critical by infrastructure and mobility agencies.
The proposal also included technological updates to the enforcement systems, including equipment capable of automatically recording speeding.
The decision by the Santa Catarina government occurs amid national discussions involving electronic enforcement and changes in traffic-related regulations.
In recent months, proposals debated in different political spheres have begun to question models of speed cameras considered “surprise” and rules about the positioning of equipment on Brazilian roads.
Debate on road safety continues in Santa Catarina
Despite this, experts related to traffic safety often point out that electronic speed control contributes to reducing serious accidents, especially in urban sections and highways with high vehicle circulation.
National and international studies frequently relate the reduction of deaths to the presence of constant enforcement in high-risk areas.
In the case of Santa Catarina, the suspension of the contract prevents, at least for now, the resumption of a state radar system that had been planned since preliminary stages conducted by the Secretariat of Infrastructure and Mobility.
The bidding process had already been completed, and the winning consortium was awaiting the advancement of the next operational phases outlined in the contract schedule.
Meanwhile, drivers traveling on state highways remain without any forecast for a new model of electronic monitoring.
The state administration also did not inform whether there will be a future review of the decision or if the veto on the return of the speed cameras will be maintained throughout the current government.
In political backstage discussions, the topic continues to mobilize divergent opinions.
Some supporters of the suspension argue that the speed cameras have an excessively revenue-generating character, while sectors linked to road safety claim that electronic control functions as a preventive tool to reduce recklessness and preserve lives on the roads.
The discussion gained even more repercussion because Santa Catarina remains one of the Brazilian states without fixed electronic monitoring on state highways for more than a decade.
The announcement of the return of the equipment had reignited the debate about the balance between traffic safety, monitoring, and financial impact on drivers.
With the cancellation made official, the Santa Catarina government maintains the policy adopted in recent years of not installing speed cameras on state-administered roads.
So far, there is also no indication of new studies or substitute projects to expand electronic monitoring of state roads.
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