Driver and vehicle fees increase
Administrator | Aug 28, 2013 | Comments 10
The cost of driving increases by $8 Sept. 1, and by 2015 the cost of renewing your vehicle’s licence will have increased 32 per cent — to $108 from the current $82.
The Ontario Liberal government is continuing its increase of driver and vehicle licence fees with an aim to improving infrastructure and services.
As of September 1st, the government will be increasing the cost to renew license plates by 10 per cent and the cost of renewing driver’s licenses will be up six per cent.
The government states changes are necessary to cover the rising costs of maintaining provincial roads, bridges and highways “and to support the quality services Ontarians rely on, such as education and health care. Even with these increases, Ontario’s passenger vehicle licence fees will remain lower than many other provinces in Canada.”
“Ontario is 12 billion dollars in deficit.” said Todd Smith, Prince Edward Hastings MPP. “For some reason, the government thinks that the solution for the massive hole that they’ve dug for Ontario is to take more money out of the economy and more money out of the wallets of Ontarians.”
The fee increases affect everything from license plate renewals to license renewals to driver’s license testing and air brake endorsement testing.
“Earlier this year, internal Treasury Board documents released to the legislature’s Justice Committee revealed that the Liberal government was considering a wide range of fee increases as a way to combat the deficit,” said Smith. “The Ontario taxpayer has paid their share to put the province back into balance, now it’s time the pain made it to Queen’s Park.
“We can’t nickel and dime our way to balance.” Smith said. “Balancing the books in Ontario requires a serious and dedicated effort by the government to deal with bigger issues that are increasing costs year over year like arbitration reform. This is just more proof that the government isn’t taking the deficit seriously.”
The fee increases will be felt most by transport companies, cab companies and farmers, he said.
“Once you start having to renew more than one plate, you multiply the cost to your business. This government is making it harder and harder to operate a small business in Ontario.”
QUICK FACTS
Ontario has 16,900 kilometres of highway and 2,800 bridges
The Ontario government has committed over $19 billion since 2003 to design, repair and expand provincial highways and bridges across Ontario.
There are about 11.4 million vehicles registered in Ontario.
For complete information on the fee increases: http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/news/backgrounder/fee-changes-2013-09-01.shtml
Filed Under: Local News
Ken is correct. There is also extra wear and tear on tires, etc. Until you’ve lived there, you don’t know.
Try driving in the north some of you. Fuel is usually 10 to 15 cents a litre higher. Some of the other fees go to bridges and roads maintenance, which are a lot more plentiful down here. The same with public transportation which we also have more of down here (although not so much in our area if you want to split hairs).
@ Judy: There are big tax burdens on small rural communities in southern Ontario too – shouldn’t they get the same breaks that they do in northern Ontario? And gasoline is pretty pricy in the south too.
No one wants to be a grinch Judy but neither do they wish to be a sucker. We are constantly slapped with increases and fees for which we receive little or no benefit.
Northern fees are a bit less because of the higher cost of fuel, and an increased tax burden on a much smaller population base to support road maintenance,especially in winter. Don’t be a grinch.
The emissions test is another con. The government is very creative in its ability to divest us of our money. They are also equally creative in how they spend it.
Don’t kid yourself – even if the world was perfect drivers and vehicle licensing fees would still be going up as Governments love to increase ‘sin’ taxes. However I am tired of subsidizing Northern Ontario passenger vehicle license fees!
The government has been wasting our money for a long time
They have been giving large amounts of money to off shore big oil to put up IWT’s in Ontario where we do not need them. It is time all forms of government stop wasting our money on things that are not necessary.
“The government states changes are necessary to cover the rising costs of maintaining provincial roads, bridges and highways…”
… not to mention bureaucrat salary and benefit increases PLUS salary increases to our elected officials. 🙁
If McGuinty hadn’t followed his “inner star” and cancelled $500 million worth of gas plants to produce electricity where it IS needed, the need to nickle and dime us to death with fee increases might not have been so necessary.