Doug Ford government to ban tolls on Ontario highways
CTV
Ontario will ban tolls on all provincial highways, including the recently uploaded Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway in Toronto.
Ontario will ban tolls on all provincial highways, including the recently uploaded Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway in Toronto.
Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria made the announcement Thursday as part of a broader set of changes, including a permanent freeze on driver’s licence and photo card fees, and the automatic renewal of licence plates.
“Our government knows that many families are feeling the pinch in their wallets. The last thing they need to see is another unnecessary fee or toll coming their way,” Sarkaria told reporters.
The new legislation, expected to be tabled next week, will not remove any tolls currently in place. It will, however, prevent roads from being tolled in the future unless the legislation is repealed.
The Ontario government uploaded the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway as part of a deal with the City of Toronto in November.
At the time, Premier Doug Ford pledged not to toll either roadway, something that the city tried to do in 2016 and was considering more recently as a way to make up for lost revenue.
Drivers using Highway 407 will continue to be charged fees, as those tolls are set by a private company. A spokesperson for the Minister of Transportation also clarified the new legislation would only apply to new tolls, and not the portion of the 407 East, which is provincially owned.
