Tolls will be removed from all provincial highways in Ontario, including the recently built Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway in Toronto.
Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria made the announcement on Thursday as part of a bigger package of measures, which included a permanent freeze on driver's license and picture card payments, as well as automatic renewal of license plates.
"Our administration understands that many families are experiencing financial hardship. "The last thing they need is another unnecessary fee or toll on their way," Sarkaria told reporters.
The proposed law, which is scheduled to be tabled next week, will not remove any existing tolls. It will, however, block future road tolls until the statute is repealed.
In November, the Ontario government uploaded the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway as part of a deal with the City of Toronto.
Premier Doug Ford committed at the time not to toll either road, something the city attempted in 2016 and was contemplating more recently as a way to compensate for lost revenue.
Hwy. 407 will continue to be tolled
Drivers utilizing Highway 407 will continue to be charged tolls, which are determined by a private business. A spokeswoman for the Minister of Transportation stressed that the new legislation will only apply to new tolls, not to the segment of the 407 East that is controlled by the province.
Drivers on a stretch of Highway 407 between Burlington and Pickering should expect charge rises as of February 2024. Highway 407 ETR (opens in a new tab), the toll company, has hiked costs following a four-year freeze.
Tolls for light vehicles, including most passenger cars and light-duty trucks, will increase by one to 11 cents per kilometer depending on the time of day and zone traveled.
