Editor’s note: A previous version of this article referred to a deadline to remove winter tires. In fact, it is studded tires.
Quebec’s Transport Ministry has postponed the annual deadline for motorists to remove their studded tires due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement on Monday, the ministry announced drivers will have an extra month to switch out the tires on their cars. The deadline will now be June 5, instead of May 1.
The move comes as the province adds garages and auto repair to its list of services deemed essential during the outbreak.
March and April are traditionally a busy period for Quebec garages as motorists remove their winter tires for the year. However, most garages have been forced to close their doors for the past month as social-distancing measures keep the majority of Quebecers confined to their homes.
Beginning Wednesday, they will be allowed to open again, provided they keep employees two metres apart.
In the statement released by his office, Transport Minister François Bonnardel said he expects the extra month drivers now have to change their tires will “make life easier for Quebecers.”