Ontario will ban tolls on all regional highways, including the Don Valley Parkway and the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto.

Ontario’s Minister of Transportation, Prabmeet Sarkaria, made this announcement today, Thursday, as part of a broader set of changes, including the permanent freezing of driver’s license and photo card fees, and the automatic renewal of license plates.

Sarkaria told reporters, "Our government knows that many families are financially tight, and the last thing they need to see is another unnecessary tool making its way to them."

The new legislation, expected to be introduced next week, will not eliminate any fees currently applied. However, it will prevent tolling on roads in the future unless the legislation is repealed.

The Ontario government tolled the Don Valley Parkway and the Gardiner Expressway as part of a deal with the City of Toronto in November.

At that time, Premier Doug Ford pledged not to toll either road, something the city had tried to do in 2016 and recently was considering as a way to compensate for lost revenues.

Tolling continues on Highway 407

Tolls will continue to be charged to drivers who use Highway 407, as these fees are set by a private company.

Drivers who use a portion of Highway 407, between Burlington and Pickering, can expect to see toll increases starting February 2024. The company responsible for tolls, known as Highway 407 ETR, recently increased tolls after four years of freezing.

Light vehicle drivers, including most passenger cars and light trucks, will see toll increases ranging from one cent to 11 cents per kilometer depending on the time of day and the area traveled.

The Thursday announcement comes two years after the Ford government canceled tolls on Highways 412 and 418 in the Durham Region.

In December 2021, regional mayors wrote a letter to the premier requesting the removal of tolls, as they were the only provincially-owned highways that charged drivers.

What else is in the “Getting Things Done Act”?

The premier has already revealed that Ontario drivers will have their license plates automatically renewed for free as long as they are “in good standing.”

Drivers who have outstanding fines or municipal fees such as parking tickets will receive a notice that their licenses will not be automatically renewed.

The government notes that until the legislation is passed at Queen’s Park, drivers will still have to renew their license plates.

The province will also permanently freeze driver’s license and photo card fees in Ontario, which were first enacted in 2019. The government estimates this could save drivers approximately $66 million over the coming years.

Officials said drivers have saved about $22 million since the freeze took effect in 2019.

These changes could come into effect sometime in the summer after the bill is passed.