New fees, rules for Ontario drivers in 2016 : Report

The cost of owning a vehicle will get a little pricier for some Ontario drivers in the new year.

The province is continuing with its rollout of a series of driver and vehicle licence fee increases and as of Jan. 1 a number of fees will be going up.

The annual fee for vehicle permit, number plate and validation fees for a trailer will increase from $53 to $59, while the cost of a license plate will go from $20 to $25.

The annual validation fee for heavy farm vehicles will see the biggest jump, up to $1,100 from $975. Smaller farm vehicles will go from $123 to $140.

In Southern Ontario, the cost of commercial vehicle validation for business or personal use will see an increase from $108 to $120.

The new year will also see the roll out of a new $50 fee for drivers that are required to attend demerit point interviews.

The province says the fee increases are needed to generate additional revenue to support the maintenance of Ontario’s 16,900 kilometres of roads, highways and 2,800 bridges that connect them. They say that until last year, there had not been an increase in many fees in the previous 15 years.

For a full list of all planned fee increases follow this link.

Agencies/Canadajournal