The Ontario government plans legislation that will ban tolls on provincial highways and make the current freeze on driver’s licence and Ontario Photo Card fees permanent.
This toll ban will apply to the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway in Toronto once uploaded to the province, as well as the province’s 400-series highways.
The province is also proposing saving drivers an estimated $66 million over the next five years by legislating the current freeze, which has saved applicants $22 million since 2019. The government is ensuring that any future increases can only be made through legislation.
The province is also proposing to save drivers time by automating the licence plate renewal process starting this summer, saving vehicle owners more than 900,000 hours each year," says a news release. "This follows recent action by the government to eliminate the cost of renewing your vehicle permit. Until the automatic renewal process begins, drivers are still required to renew their licence plates at no cost, which can be done online or in person at ServiceOntario. The automatic renewal process will only be available to drivers in good standing who do not have outstanding fines or tickets.
"Roads are an investment in the supply chain," says Stephen Laskowski, President, Ontario Trucking Association "The trucking industry – through provincial and federal fuel taxes, federal carbon taxes, provincial registration and permit fees – is already contributing a major portion of the revenues the province of Ontario invests in road infrastructure."
