A private member's bill aimed at protecting consumers from unexpected repair charges will not proceed after industry members said it was unworkable and redundant.

MLAs decided Monday Bill 203, which was under review by the standing committee on families and communities, was too flawed to recommend it proceed to second reading.

The decision came after a day of testimony from industry groups, auto dealerships and repair shops. Every group except one called on the government to drop the bill.

Members of the Alberta auto industry told MLAs the bill duplicates measures in the Fair Trading Act.

Edmonton-Meadlowlark NDP MLA Jon Carson, who introduced the private member's bill, was criticized for drafting it without first consulting with the industry.

Despite condemnation from industry experts, Carson told the committee that the bill could be strengthened with amendments. But opposition MLAs questioned why they should bother.

"Why do you believe that this committee should ignore experts and proceed with this bill?" Wildrose MLA Mark Smith asked.

Carson said he would accept what the committee decided to do with the bill.

MLAs thanked him for his work on the legislation. They passed a recommendation recommending the government come up with a program to educate consumers about how the Fair Trading Act can help them.

Increased paperwork and difficult to enforce

Criticisms about the bill centered on how much more paperwork it would create and that duplications with the Fair Trading Act could make it impossible to enforce. Some questioned whether the bill was needed at all.

Denis Ducharme, president of the Motor Dealers Association of Alberta, said only 45 complaints resulted from the five million repairs done from June 2014 to June 2015. No charges were laid in any of those cases.

"The truth is this bill is a harsh solution in search of a non-existent problem," Ducharme told the committee. "Many of the things the bill purports to do are already done under existing legislation and regulation."

Ducharme said the bill should be dropped and the Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council (AMVIC) should better educate customers about what their rights are under the existing Fair Trading Act.

Ducharme slammed the bill for being a cut-and-paste job from other provinces that don't have a body like AMVIC to protect customers.

Elaine Walton, co-owner of OK Tire in Spruce Grove, said a proposed requirement for customers to provide written consent before any repairs are made is inconvenient for both the shop and the customer

A provision for auto shops to provide free estimates was also a problem, she said, noting that not being able to charge for complicated diagnostics needed to detect where repairs are required would be costly for shops.

"Technician labour billed is a big part of a repair shop's income," she said. "And it helps to pay for technicians, new tools, such as a scanner, which can easily be $4,000."

Customer education ​

Other industry representatives said reviews on websites like Yelp and Google are incentive enough for the industry to provide excellent customer service.

"As a franchise dealer, we've invested millions into our business," said Doug Airey, general manager of Western GMC Buick in Edmonton. "Our dealership employs just over a hundred people. And the last thing I want to do is jeopardize their livelihood, their employment."

The Alberta Motor Association stood out by not suggesting Bill 203 be dropped, but instead offered a number of amendments to make the bill more workable.

MLAs on the committee heard that the Fair Trading Act is up for review in the next couple of years, which could be an opportunity to make the changes discussed in the review of Bill 203.