VICTORIA — The B.C. government officially approved pro-rated licence fees for commercial vehicles, including both trucks and buses.

Near the end of September, the province made its decisions based on a B.C. Trucking Association recommendation to establish a fairer system.

Currently, if a licensee cancels a commercial vehicle’s registration at any point except at the end of the licence period, it forfeits the licence fee for the month of cancellation. Theoretically, the maximum overpayment could be for as much as one month if a licensee cancelled a vehicle’s licence almost immediately after it was licensed and a new vehicle licensed in its place. The maximum licence fee for a commercial vehicle is almost $4,000 per year. With pro-rated licensing, licensees will receive a remittance for the number of full days remaining in the term of the licence.

“This policy update is particularly satisfying for BCTA, not only because it can provide significant savings for members, but because it also illustrates how effectively we can advocate on your behalf,” says the BCTA. “Pro-rated licensing fees will exist because a BCTA member contacted us in concern over the costs of the current policy, and we in turn successfully advocated for a change. We encourage you to identify problems like these so that BCTA can continue to work for fair regulation and enforcement.”

The Insurance Corporation of BC also reports that it should complete the software revisions required to implement this change by mid-November.