Ontario is removing licence plate renewal fees and stickers for passenger vehicles, light-duty trucks, motorcycles and mopeds effective March 13.
The government says this will save vehicle owners in southern Ontario up to $120 a year, and those in northern Ontario up to $60.
The announcement was made by Premier Doug Ford on Tuesday at a conference in Richmond Hill.
He said refunds will be issued for all licence plate renewals bought before March 2020.
“This means a little more money in your pocket to help with groceries or pay bills. This is just another step we’re taking to make life more affordable,” Ford said in the conference.
Some vehicle owners say the change will save them both time and money.
“It’s not super helpful, but it does save me some money,” said Chloe Marriott. She is a college student and drives a Pontiac Vibe, commuting often to visit family in Belleville from Kingston.
“I think it will save me about $100 a year … I could use that for my groceries or to pay my rent,” she said.
“It will give me one less thing to worry about,” said Nikki Graham, she drives a Honda Odyssey and uses her car often to drive to southern Ontario from North Bay.
“I think and it makes things a lot easier and took something off my plate. Especially because appointments are so impossible to get and the Service Ontario buildings were lined up like around the corner every single day at eight or nine or whenever they open,” she said.
When asked about the potential cost of $1 billion per year for taxpayers, Ford said “That’s everyone’s money out there. It’s not the government’s money. We’re just putting that in back into your pocket.”
“It’s about affordability. You know, people have been hurt so, so much over this pandemic. And that’s a billion dollars going back into the economy,” he said.
Ford said that carbon taxes are to blame for the rising costs of gas and groceries.
“I predicted this carbon tax a long time ago. I said the gas is going to go up. All the goods are going to go up your groceries are going up and it kind of fell on deaf ears on certain parts of the country,” he said.
But Green party leader Mike Schreiner says driving electric is the best way forward to curb expensive transportation and living costs.
“Instead of blaming the carbon tax for skyrocketing gas prices, Doug Ford should make it more affordable and accessible to drive electric. That will help Ontarians save big at the pump by getting big oil out of our wallets as gas prices continue to soar,” he said in a statement Tuesday.
“Addressing climate change is how we make life more affordable – not removing licence plate stickers that will cost taxpayers a billion dollars.”
This will refund will affect over 7.5 million vehicle owners, who must confirm their licence address and pay any outstanding tickets and fines before March 7 to receive the refund.
Addresses can be updated by visiting ontario.ca/address change or calling the Service Ontario dedicated line at 888-333-0049.