VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – It’s been three years since the province promised a regional tolling review in Metro Vancouver and one MLA is questioning why nothing has been done.

“The minister, three years ago, promised he would undertake a vigorous debate and discussion on the provincial policy. And given that he has not done so yet, it’s time he undertook it,” explains Independent MLA for Delta South Vicki Huntington.

She is in favour of harmonized tolling, which would see small tolls on all the crossings. She says with the current method of high tolls on just a few crossings, some people are getting hit way too hard.

“He’s got to get on with this tolling review and look at a regional road pricing that is fair to everybody and equitable both north and south of the Fraser,” she adds.

She says we’re going to end up with a single crossing on the Fraser River, the Alex Fraser, that isn’t tolled and that will be intolerable for certain people.

But UBC Political Scientist David Moscrop says given there’s an election next year in this province, looking at tolling now would be political suicide.

“They know it’s unpopular. Nobody likes tolls, people go out of their way to avoid them and there’s no comprehensive strategy so it also opens them up to [people saying] what are you going to do about the rest of the transit problem. ” he says.

He does think the topic of tolling will be a big election issue.

“Once you open this stuff up people are going to say what they’re going to say and it may or may not align with what you’re trying to accomplish politically. All the incentive in the world right now is for them to stall and wait and deal with it after the election regardless of what people think. It’s an election year and policy is more sensitive in the lead up to that.

Moscrop says it’s also possible the province may have a broader plan we don’t know about.