Each year, Ontario commercial trucks and buses must complete multiple inspections to ensure that they are meeting Ontario’s high environmental standards and safety requirements. These inspections are important, so we are creating a one-stop approach so that we can reduce burden for individuals and businesses while maintaining strong environmental protections by proposing to combine Ontario’s mandatory emissions and safety inspection requirements into a single inspection for heavy diesel commercial motor vehicles.
Completing both tests at the same time will save these drivers time and money so they can focus on keeping goods moving across Ontario, while maintaining the necessary protections for our environment and safety.
Proposed Transfer of Provisions from the Environmental Protection Act to the Highway Traffic Act
As part of the Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, 2019, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) is proposing amendments that will transfer responsibility for vehicle emission inspections and enforcement from MECP to the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) by repealing Part III of the Environmental Protection Act and transferring the substance of Part III to the Highway Traffic Act.
These amendments, which are currently posted for a 30-day consultation period on the Environmental Registry of Ontario and Ontario’s Regulatory Registry, are proposed to come into effect on July 1, 2021.
Proposed Integrated Vehicle Safety and Emissions Inspection Program
The proposed legislative amendments will form the foundation for the subsequent legislative changes. These changes will enable the consolidation of heavy diesel commercial motor vehicle emissions inspections, commercial vehicle safety inspections and associated enforcement activities to be carried out under the Highway Traffic Act. Under the integrated program, which will be administered by MTO, owners of heavy diesel commercial motor vehicles would be able to get an emissions and safety inspection at the same time and location — one test, with one digital result.
Proposed Legislative Changes
MECP is proposing legislative changes, as part of the Red Tape Reduction Bill, in two areas:
1. Repealing Part III of the Environmental Protection Act, and
2. Transferring the substance of Part III to the Highway Traffic Act.
The Environmental Registry of Ontario legislative proposal is open for 30 days. Contact information is listed in the proposal should you have any comments or questions regarding the proposed changes.
See the legislative proposal here: https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-0646