Winnipeg Free Press > Local > Province seeks to get beaters off roads

Local

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Province seeks to get beaters off roads

Incentives aim to encourage use of more fuel-efficient vehicles

By: Bruce Owen

3/04/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 5

Drive a beater? One built before 1995?

Or are you a two-beater family?

If "yes", the Doer government wants to have a chat with you.

The province will soon launch programs to get pre-1995 vehicles and their belching exhaust pipes off the road, or at least keep them tuned so they don't pollute.

New initiatives to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions were announced Thursday with the release of a Vehicle Standards Advisory Board report. The goal is to get more Manitobans driving newer fuel-efficient vehicles, including hybrid electric vehicles, plus get more commuters carpooling or taking the bus.

"What we are going to be doing is moving very aggressively on a car retirement program," Science, Technology, Energy and Mines Minister Jim Rondeau said. "Right now what we're looking at is incentives. Right now we're using carrots.

"Manitobans know that economically it makes sense. They know environmentally it makes sense. And so far Manitobans have been very eager to accept carrots."

To make that happen, the province will work with Diabetes Association, Lung Association, Teen Challenge and Kidney Foundation to accept charitable donations of pre-1995 vehicles in exchange for tax receipts.

The province has a reputation as having more older cars -- 21.8 per cent of all vehicles -- on the road than most other provinces, Manitoba Public Insurance president and advisory board co-chairwoman Marilyn McLaren said. She also many Manitoba families own more than one older car, using one as a "winter beater."

"Getting rid of a vehicle that's pre-'95 means it's 14 years old. There's room to move and still have an older, less costly vehicle -- a winter beater -- but still have something that is more fuel-efficient and does help our challenge with greenhouse gases," McLaren said.

Rondeau added the province will not penalize people who want to keep or sell older cars, or those who own classic or antique vehicles.

"This is not restricting a Manitoban to buy or sell their pre-'95 vehicle," Rondeau said.

Part of the plan involves replacing the province's hybrid rebate program with new incentives to get more people buying hybrid vehicles. As of Jan. 1, 2009, there were 1,975 hybrid vehicles registered in Manitoba. The total fleet is 736,000 vehicles including hybrids.

What the committee did not do is recommend emission standards for Manitoba. The province supports the California Air Resources Board model for vehicle emission reductions. The tough standards are pending approval in the United States.

Rondeau said to set emission standards here would not make sense as the province is just a small fish in a big pond.

For a full copy of the Vehicle Standards Advisory Board's report, go to: www.gov.mb.ca/stem/climate/pdf/vsab_report.pdf

bruce.owen@freepress.mb.ca

What's being done

WHAT the province wants to do to reduce vehicle emissions:

Promote fuel efficiency through programs on vehicle maintenance, tire inflation, reduced idling, and voluntary mobile emissions testing.

Work with Manitoba fuel retailers to ensure the public has convenient access to on-site air compressors at all filling stations. Encourage government fleets to locate air compressors in parking areas for easy access by staff.

Develop a strong green driver training program, and make education materials available at automobile dealerships and insurance offices.

Broaden programs to scrap older vehicles and provide incentives to shift to cleaner vehicles or public transit.

Limit the salvage auction of pre-1995 vehicles undertaken by Manitoba Public Insurance to vehicles for parts only.

See whether it's practical to integrate emissions testing into vehicle safety inspections.

Maintain and enforce current highway speed limits in Manitoba and improve the synchronization of traffic lights.

-- Source: Vehicle Standards Advisory Board

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 3, 2009 A12

  • Rate this Rate This Star Icon
  • This article has not yet been rated.

    • We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high. If you thought it was well written, do the same. If it doesn’t meet your standards, mark it accordingly.

    You can also register and/or login to the site and join the conversation by leaving a comment.

    Rate it yourself by rolling over the stars and clicking when you reach your desired rating. We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high.

5 Commentscomment icon

"If some of these lower income individuals and families spent less money trying to "keep up with the Joneses" by driving cars and watching cable on big screen LCD tvs and more money keeping up with the rent payments and grocery bills they might one day be able to afford a reliable used or new car."
Sounds like a mister know it all. For your information I work FULL time and after paying rent and groceries i don't have enough to own and operate a newer car. I drive a 1988 car. It is in great shape and I can afford it. I have friends that have a newer car and can't keep up with any of their bills because of the car and autopac payments.

B. : You realize the conversation was about fuel-efficient vehicles, right? Getting people to pay for their crimes? What article did you read?

@Winnipegger - You're right that people earning lower wages can't afford to go out and buy new cars. But it's not a bad idea to encourage them to buy something newer than a 14 year old car.

Or, better yet, encourage them to use transit. If some of these lower income individuals and families spent less money trying to "keep up with the Joneses" by driving cars and watching cable on big screen LCD tvs and more money keeping up with the rent payments and grocery bills they might one day be able to afford a reliable used or new car.

Not all vehicles that were built before 1995 are "beaters"! Does this mean for those who have custom-builts or classic vehicles have to get rid of thier hard-earned works of art & beauty? It better NOT!! The problem with these newer cars is that they have too much computerized crap making that much more difficult & expensive to repair! Instead, let's concentrate on getting dangerous drivers, car thieves, etc, off our roads and making them PAY for thier crimes!

Did any of them stop to think that one of the main underlying reasons for driving a pre 1995 vehicle is the fact that most jobs being offered in Winnipeg are at the low end of the pay scale?

Yes there are hundreds of jobs being offered - in call centers and the serving industry, but the sad fact is they are 10 to 13 dollar and hour jobs and new vehicles cost 18,000 or more? How can this majority afford the car payments not to mention the outragious autopac charges?

At the lowest point in my life I had no choice but to drive a 1980's car due to financial problems. It's what I could afford at that point in my life.

We now drive a new Toyota while paying over 400 per month to own it, and that doesn't cover the 1,600 per year to insure it.

While this is a noble idea - the people at the lower end of the pay scale are not going to be running out and buying newer cars.

To all the car collectors out there, well it's their hobby and they aren't going to scrap cars they have but countless hours of work and money into restoring and maintaining.

Sorry but this is doomed to fail once again.

The comment period for this story has ended.

letters

Make text: Larger | Smaller

Special coverage

Poll

Would you pay more to supersize your garbage bin?

View Results