TORONTO – The McGuinty government is protecting the environment and saving Ontarians time and money by improving the Drive Clean program with exemptions for newer, cleaner vehicles and a focus on older vehicles most likely to pollute, Environment Minister Laurel Broten announced today.

“Newer vehicles were passing Drive Clean more than 99 per cent of the time,” said Broten. “By focusing testing on vehicles most likely to pollute, we are protecting the air we breathe and improving the program’s efficiency and effectiveness.”

Drive Clean is Ontario's testing and repair program, designed to cut smog-causing emissions from cars, trucks and buses. Currently, the program requires light-duty vehicles that are at least three years old to be tested every two years to renew their licence plates. Light-duty vehicles that are 20 years old or more are exempt from testing. A recent science-based review recommended that the program be improved by exempting newer vehicles and focusing more strongly on older vehicles that are most likely to pollute.

Effective January 1, 2006, the program is being revised to focus on vehicles most likely to pollute by:

Starting emissions tests to renew licence plates when vehicles are five years old, instead of three, because newer vehicles have much better emissions controls and three-year-old cars pass Drive Clean over 99 per cent of the time. Heavy-duty trucks and buses will also require tests beginning when they are five years old, instead of three
Strengthening consumer protection and fraud prevention by making it an offence under the Environmental Protection Act to create, distribute or use false Drive Clean passes and making it easier to decertify emissions inspectors who create, distribute or use false Drive Clean passes
As well, 20-year-old light-duty vehicles, which have a high risk of being serious polluters, will now require testing, with 1988 and newer model year vehicles staying in the program.

Further changes to the Drive Clean program are also proposed:

Requiring annual testing for vehicles 12 years old and older
Increasing the amount vehicles owners must spend on repairs should their vehicle fail its Drive Clean test from $450 to $600
No longer requiring a Drive Clean test for an ownership transfer between family members, or when a vehicle lease is bought out by the lessee
Using the vehicle’s own on-board computers for testing 1998 and newer vehicles “We are looking forward to what the public has to say about Drive Clean and how it can be improved because we believe that a licence to own a vehicle is not a licence to pollute,” said Broten.