I Did Not Know That

 

While I am perhaps understandably loathe to do the work of Doug Food's Ontario government, I feel an obligation to post about something I learned this morning. In what is undoubtedly a cost-saving measure, the premier's braintrust has decreed that it will no longer be sending out reminders to renew our now-free car licence plates. And even more confusing, there will no longer be any stickers to show that we are driving with current plates.

Even though sticker fees have been scrapped by the province, motorists can still be fined by police if they don’t renew their vehicle plates. Fines range from $60 to $1,000.

At the same time, the government has also scrapped mail-out reminders for licence plates, driver’s licences as well as health cards. But Ontarians can sign up for email, text message or robocalls when it’s time to renew.

In what is surely a testament to misplaced trust in the capacity of the average Ontarian to take care of details like renewals, Elliott Silverstein, an official with the CAA, says,

“What the government was trying to do, and what a lot of groups have been trying to underscore is that you’re still responsible to make sure your vehicle is registered and everything is up to date, because you need that for insurance … you don’t want to be driving without a valid licence, that can cause huge problems.”

Silverstein said the government is not issuing stickers, which may also cause some confusion “as people have been conditioned to equate the sticker to renewals, but now it’s actually just moving forward without a sticker ... you’re not getting something physically to show for it.”

Now, I hesitate to be a Grinch about this, but I feel compelled to ask an obvious question: How in the world would police know you are driving without a valid plate unless they stopped you for something else?

How about another question? How often do you check to make sure that your driver's licence and health card are current?

Blessedly, for those who have the capacity to think more than one chess move ahead, 

the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services says it has moved to digital reminders. Ontarians can register online with Service Ontario or by calling 1-800-267-8097.

We are told by the right-wing of a great desire for more freedom. Let us hope that people also realize that the great freedom from those annoying licence fees also entails great responsibility. 

Doug Ford is counting on it.