Nova Scotia NDP calls on province to scrap ‘unnecessary’ vehicle inspections, permit fees

Unnecessary and expensive: that’s how the Nova Scotia NDP describe vehicle inspections, permit and licence fees in the province.

Vehicle permit renewals range between $150 and around $300, and take place every one or two years, depending on the type of vehicle plate.

“This is something that is literally a government revenue line and there are lots of other places where fees are waived in this way,” said NDP Leader Claudia Chender.

The NDP says Nova Scotians deserve a break as they continue to face rising costs, and are calling on government to waive fees for vehicle permit renewals.

Ontario is going one step further. Premier Doug Ford announced Tuesday that the province is set to introduce automatic renewals for licence plates. Ontario already got rid of renewal fees in 2022.

“We did the first step: getting rid of the sticker,” Ford said.

“Now, we’re getting rid of the re-registration. They’ll be automatically re-registered. So people won’t have to worry about that at all.”

The NDP in Nova Scotia is also asking the province to get rid of fees for licence renewals, basic identification cards, and change of name or address requests. To further bring Nova Scotia in line with most other provinces, Chender says Nova Scotia should also change Motor Vehicle Inspections (MVI) to every five years instead of two.

“We know that people need a break,” told Chender.

“We have pages and pages and pages and pages of fees that people pay in this province, and lots are just government revenue … This is a government that’s had billions in government revenue.”

According to the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), high costs of fees have drivers re-thinking how they’re getting around.

“The cost of driving is just high in general right now,” said CAA spokesperson Julia Kent.

“Driving is definitely more expensive right now, and that has to do with the cost of fuel, the cost of vehicles, the availability of vehicles.”

Drivers in Halifax welcome the NDP’s suggestion, and say they’d like the province to reconsider the fees.

“We pay an awful lot of fees in this province, so something to offset it would be nice,” said driver Rebecca Hamm.

In a statement to Global News, the Department of Public Works pointed out that all fees collected under the Motor Vehicle act are used to build and maintain highways.

— with a file from Global News’ Rebecca Lau