Editor:
Re: All road users should pay tax (Optimist, letters, Aug. 15)
Ms. Wightman makes some good points in her letter about cuts to TransLink services. However, the assertion that electric vehicles (EV) contribute to congestion needs review.
According to ICBC data from Tableau Public, there are about 1.6 million vehicles in the Lower Mainland which includes about 93,000 EV’s. That means about 5.8 per cent of vehicles in the Lower Mainland are EV’s. That’s a very small number and unlikely to contribute much to congestion.
Should a road tax for all users be initiated? Perhaps, but what taxes do EV owners pay today?
The purchaser of a new EV pays GST and PST on the price. Most EV owners charge their vehicle at home and GST and PST are paid for the materials and labour to install a 220-volt charging unit. The EV owner pays GST on the electricity used in every charge in addition to the actual electricity cost. Tires, brakes and regular maintenance for an EV are also charged GST and PST.
The EV owner also pays generally the same costs as a gas vehicle owner for non-insurance costs under ICBC ‘Basic Insurance’ such as Annual Licence fee, Road Safety fee, Driver and Vehicle licensing fee and 4.4 per cent tax annually. EV owners don’t pay a gas tax, but we do pay taxes.
Keith Munro
