The Ontario government is introducing the Get It Done Act that would, if passed, ban tolls on provincial highways.

This ban would apply to the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway once uploaded to the province, as well as the province’s 400-series highways, according to a news release.

Prabmeet Sarkaria, minister of transportation said, “First, we scrapped the tolls on Highways 412 and 418, now we’re protecting drivers from the costs of new tolls.”

This measure is part of upcoming legislation that will kick off the spring sitting of the legislature on Feb. 20. The act will include a variety of measures that, if passed, would build on the government’s commitments to date to streamline approvals for major infrastructure projects and support economic growth.

With Ontario’s population expected to grow by 5 million people over the next decade, the province is moving forward with building Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass. These highways will bring relief to one of the most congested corridors in North America, the release said.

If passed, the proposed legislation would amend the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act to prohibit Ontario from introducing new tolls on provincial highways and potentially require public consultation before considering new tolls.

OTA welcomes legislation

The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) welcomed the move. “Roads are an investment in the supply chain. The trucking industry – through provincial and federal fuel taxes, federal carbon taxes, provincial registration and permit fees – is already contributing a major portion of the revenues the province of Ontario invests in road infrastructure,” Stephen Laskowski, OTA president said in the release.

“The trucking industry greatly appreciates this legislation, which is a recognition that all road users, including the commercial trucking industry, already pay their fair share of road investment. This is also the type of legislative measure that all governments should be looking at to control inflation and help the entire supply chain and families reduce their costs.

“Preventing future governments from arbitrarily placing tolls on the supply chain without due diligence and consultation is a measure welcomed by the OTA.”