A few weeks ago, the Quebec government tabled a Bill that would make inspections mandatory in its Province. This plan reflects to a tee what has and is taking place in other Canadian Provinces.
You might imagine that a number of us car-nuts at Auto123.com are not very enthusiastic about this proposal. We feel as though this program would do nothing more than further tax drivers and open doors to abuse on many levels.
The APA, a well respected consumer oriented organization, released the following late last week. We'll let you read it and draw your own conclusions.
Let us know what you think.
AUTOMOBILE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION (APA)
December 2011
Dear APA Member:
The provincial government recently tabled a bill that will require mandatory emissions inspections. Vehicles eight years and older will be subject to a $60 emissions inspection fee at a certified repair facility.
The APA is against this new requirement because the benefit will be very small and the overall cost very high. The annual cost of inspections alone will be around 30 million dollars a year in the first years of the program, and it is predicted to increase as the program is applied to a larger share of the fleet.
In Ontario, where a similar emissions inspection program has been in force since 1999, the failure rate of vehicles currently being tested is only 5%. For eight-year-old vehicles, it’s just 1%. In other words, to find just one 2004 car with high emissions, consumers in Quebec will have to shell out $6,000 in inspection fees. Furthermore, 30% of the vehicles with high emissions in Ontario receive a waiver which allows them to continue polluting. This occurs because the repairs are too expensive, or the vehicle can’t be repaired. APA believes the experience in Quebec will be similar.
It’s entirely appropriate for motorists to cover some of the environmental burden caused by driving a vehicle. However the inspection program proposed for Quebec is very expensive and will contribute very little to cleaning up the environment. By far the largest component of the cost will be for inspections to vehicles that are already clean. The big winner will be the program’s administrator (a private company) and possibly a few repair shops that use the inspection as an opportunity to upsell vehicle repairs.
The APA will keep you posted in the new year regarding the progress of this file.
Yours truly,
George Iny
President
You might imagine that a number of us car-nuts at Auto123.com are not very enthusiastic about this proposal. We feel as though this program would do nothing more than further tax drivers and open doors to abuse on many levels.
The APA, a well respected consumer oriented organization, released the following late last week. We'll let you read it and draw your own conclusions.
Let us know what you think.
 |
AUTOMOBILE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION (APA)
December 2011
Dear APA Member:
The provincial government recently tabled a bill that will require mandatory emissions inspections. Vehicles eight years and older will be subject to a $60 emissions inspection fee at a certified repair facility.
The APA is against this new requirement because the benefit will be very small and the overall cost very high. The annual cost of inspections alone will be around 30 million dollars a year in the first years of the program, and it is predicted to increase as the program is applied to a larger share of the fleet.
In Ontario, where a similar emissions inspection program has been in force since 1999, the failure rate of vehicles currently being tested is only 5%. For eight-year-old vehicles, it’s just 1%. In other words, to find just one 2004 car with high emissions, consumers in Quebec will have to shell out $6,000 in inspection fees. Furthermore, 30% of the vehicles with high emissions in Ontario receive a waiver which allows them to continue polluting. This occurs because the repairs are too expensive, or the vehicle can’t be repaired. APA believes the experience in Quebec will be similar.
It’s entirely appropriate for motorists to cover some of the environmental burden caused by driving a vehicle. However the inspection program proposed for Quebec is very expensive and will contribute very little to cleaning up the environment. By far the largest component of the cost will be for inspections to vehicles that are already clean. The big winner will be the program’s administrator (a private company) and possibly a few repair shops that use the inspection as an opportunity to upsell vehicle repairs.
The APA will keep you posted in the new year regarding the progress of this file.
Yours truly,
George Iny
President