Provincial Legislative Changes - Spring Update 2015
British Columbia: New incentive to make clean technology vehicles more cost-effective. The incentive consists in a rebate up to $ 5,000 when someone buys a new battery electric, fuel-cell electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, and up to $6,000 for a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.
The government has invested $ 10.6 million dollars in the Clean Energy Vehicle Program (CEV) in which the new incentive is part of. As part of the Program, the government will invest in the following areas over the next three years:
- $7.5 million for point-of-sale incentives for electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
- $1.59 million for investments in charging infrastructure and hydrogen fueling infrastructure.
- $1 million for incentives for commercial fleet purchases of clean energy vehicles.
- $500,000 for research, training, and public outreach on clean energy transportation technology.
Effective April 1, 2015.
Manitoba:
1) New trucking regulations: wider tires will reduce fuel consumption and improve gas efficiency.
Effective February 27, 2015.
2) Increase of speed limit to 110 km/h on Trans-Canada Highway West of Winnipeg.
Advantages of wider tires: - less weight than dual tires, resulting in increased hauling and payload capacity;- lower fuel costs and decreased greenhouse-gas emissions;- reduced noise and tire recycling waste;- improved ride and comfort for operators; and- reduced handling and costs associated with tires, resulting in considerable saving and increased productivity for operators. Better traffic flow for commercial traffic and all vehicles.
Effective June 2, 2015.
Nova Scotia: Amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act. Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Geoff MacLellan tabled the amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act.
1) Drivers must maintain zero blood alcohol content for two years after they complete the learner/beginner and newly licensed phases of the program.
This new requirement is effective April 1, 2015.
2) Supervisory drivers must be fully licensed for at least two years after they complete the learner/beginner and newly licensed phases of the program. Currently a new driver can be a supervisory driver immediately after getting a full license.
This will be effective April 1, 2015.
3) The learner/beginner phase of the program will be 12 months. Currently the learner/beginner phase is six months. It will still be possible to have three months taken off the phase if an approved driver training program is completed.
The first two changes will be effective April 1, 2015 with the third effective April 1, 2016.
Ontario: New Road Safety Legislation - Bill 173. New legislation which, if passed, will help reduce collisions, injuries, and fatalities on Ontario’s roads. Measures include increasing fines for distracted driving and dooring cyclists, raising demerit points levels, requiring all drivers to maintain a distance of one metre when passing cyclists, and requiring drivers to yield the whole roadway to pedestrians at school crossings and pedestrian crossovers.
Has not been reintroduced yet since new government in power last June.
Quebec: MNA Martine Ouellet from the Parti Québécois Proposed an Act respecting zero-GHG-emission motor vehicles. The proposed law would force automakers to offer and sell more electric cars with the objective of increasing the number of electric cars in the province.
Sitting held on April 15, 2015.
Saskatchewan: Continue to participate in "Road Check" and "Operation Air Brake" annual international safety inspection events and plan strategic enforcement activities to reduce commercial vehicle safety violations.
Key action of strategy to reduce collisions on the transportation system at intersections and on high traffic corridors as part of the Ministry's goal to increase transportation safety in the Plan 2015-2016.
The Ministry will report on progress made toward this plan in the 2015-16 Annual Report, which will be published March 31, 2016.