The B.C. government says people who don’t pay COVID-19-related fines could be refused driver’s or vehicle licences.
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth announced the move Wednesday, which will be accomplished by amending the Motor Vehicle Act.
Read more: ‘We are not going to let it drop’: Majority of $1.1M in COVID-19 fines issued in B.C. remain unpaid
The change would empower ICBC to refuse to issue or renew licensing due to unpaid fines associated with B.C.’s Emergency Program Act and COVID-19 Related Measures Act.
The province says the refusals would apply to all outstanding fines, and be applied retroactively. People with an outstanding fine would get a warning ahead of their driver’s licence expiry date, and would retain the right to appeal through the superintendent of motor vehicles.
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The new enforcement is scheduled to begin on July 1.
The move comes as the province struggles to recoup fines issued to people caught violating COVID-19 restrictions.
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ICBC, which collects ticket fines on behalf of the provincial government, has processed 1,679 violation tickets so far, amounting to $1.17 million — just $172,825, or 14 per cent of that figure, has actually been paid.
In December, the province directed ICBC to send unpaid fines to collections as soon as their 30-day payment or dispute penalty ended.
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