Toronto/IBNS: Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria has announced that the province would ban tolls on all provincial highways, including the recently uploaded Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway in Toronto.

Sarkaria’s announcement is part of a broader set of changes, including a permanent freeze on driver’s licence and photo card fees, and the automatic renewal of licence plates.

“Our government under the leadership of Premier Ford is on a mission to keep costs down for families and businesses. First, we scrapped the tolls on Highways 412 and 418, now we’re protecting drivers from the costs of new tolls,” Sarkaria said.

“We’re looking to have this implemented by the summer,” he was reported saying to the reporters, adding that until then drivers are still expected to renew their licence plates online.

Expected to be tabled next week, the new legislation would prevent roads from being tolled in the future, subject to passing of the legislation sometime in the summer.

Doug Ford pledged not to toll either roadway as a way to make up for lost revenue.

Tolls on Highway 407 being set by a private company, will continue to be tolled.

This announcement comes two years after the Ford government scrapped tolls on Highways 412 and 418 in Durham Region.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)