The good news: Ontario is scrapping its $30-fee for mandatory Drive Clean emissions tests on vehicles seven years and older, starting next year.

The bad news: motorists still have to get the checkups and pay for any necessary repairs to meet the standards, keeping smog-causing pollutants out of the air and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Finance Minister Charles Sousa said the break is intended to make “everyday life easier” for citizens, who will also be forking out an average of 4.3 cents more per litre of gasoline as the fight against climate change ramps up.

The Drive Clean program, started in 1999 by the Mike Harris Progressive Conservative government, has long been a target of critics who called the testing a cash grab. That prompted a $5 reduction in the fee a couple of years ago.

Taxpayers will now be reimbursing garages for the tests — about two million are conducted annually at a cost of $60 million.

Conservative Leader Patrick Brown said getting rid of the fee is “a good start,” but it’s time to scrap the Drive Clean altogether.

“A lot of people have found ways around that program.”

Sousa pledged to continue reviewing Drive Clean as cleaner fuels and improved exhaust technologies come to market.

Since its inception 17 years ago, Drive Clean is credited with keeping 335,000 tonnes of pollutants out of the air.

In all, vehicles account for about one-third of greenhouse gas emissions.

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