Ontario cuts Drive Clean emission test rates
by The Canadian Press
The oppositions says Drive Clean, which was introduced in 1999, has outlived its usefulness
TORONTO—Ontario’s Liberal government will announce plans today to lower the $35 fee for the Drive Clean vehicle emission tests.
Drive Clean is supposed to be a revenue-neutral program to get cars that spew pollution off the road, but it is now turning a profit of $19 million.
The government has promised to address the issue and lower the charge that drivers pay every two years to get their vehicles tested, but still haven’t said what the new rate will be.
The Progressive Conservatives say Drive Clean, which was introduced in 1999, has outlived its usefulness and should be eliminated because most cars and light trucks easily pass the test.
Ontario changed its Drive Clean procedures last January to use onboard diagnostic testing equipment instead of tail pipe emissions, which has led to an average 10 per cent failure rates.
The emissions tests are mandatory for vehicles at least seven years old.
British Columbia is planning to phase out its version of Drive Clean next year.
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