

Chris Fox, CP24.com





The cost of owning a vehicle will get a little pricier for some Ontario drivers in the new year.

The province is continuing with its rollout of a series of driver and vehicle licence fee increases and as of Jan. 1 a number of fees will be going up.

The annual fee for vehicle permit, number plate and validation fees for a trailer will increase to $59 from $53 while the cost of a licence plate will go from $20 to $25 and the cost of commercial vehicle validation for business or personal use will rise to $120 from $108 in Southern Ontario.

Farmers will also be affected with the annual validation fee for farm vehicles going from $123 to $140 for smaller vehicles and from $975 to $1,100 for heavier vehicles.

Meanwhile, the new year will also mark the rollout of a new $50 fee for drivers that are required to attend demerit point interviews and the introduction of a new law requiring that drivers remain stopped at crosswalks until all pedestrians have cleared the intersection.

The fee increases are being implemented in order to generate additional revenue to support the maintenance of provincial roads, highways and bridges.

“While costs of maintaining roads, bridges and highways have risen over time, fees have not, so in keeping with the recommendations of the Drummond Commission, since 2012, the government has been gradually increasing fees to help recover the costs required to deliver the service or product to customers,” Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca said in a statement provided to CP24.

For a full list of all planned fee increases follow this link.

Remember for instant breaking news follow @cp24 on Twitter.