Feature Article June 5, 2002
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Drive Cleanby Jeff GreenBy now most drivers in eastern Ontario are aware of the Drive Clean program. It is certainly here, and for anyone with a vehicle that needs a license renewal after June 30 of this year, it could mean at the very least a $30 fee and a trip to Verona, Kingston, Perth, or Tweed.The Drive Clean program has the goal of decreasing emission levels from cars in Ontario by forcing drivers to repair faulty exhaust systems or replace offending vehicles altogether. It was implemented three years ago in the urban areas centred in Toronto, expanded last year to urban areas between Peterborough and Windsor, and now is coming to what the Provincial government calls the Ontario Smog Zone, adding parts of southwestern and eastern Ontario, including the municipalities of Chatham-Kent, Ottawa, Kingston, and Cornwall. Locally, it seems that all counties between Hwy 401 and 7 are affected, including Frontenac, Lanark, and Lennox & Addington. All counties to the north are exempt - for now. According to government news releases, Drive Clean has been responsible for reducing smog-causing vehicle emissions by 11.5 % in its first two years in the Toronto and Hamilton areas. For car owners wondering what it means to them, it all depends on the year of their vehicle, and their date of birth. Vehicle licenses are renewed on the owners birthday, and anyone born after June 30th will be facing Drive Clean this year. The program, however, staggers the testing by the year the vehicle was produced. Even model year cars are tested on odd years, and odd model year cars on even years.For example, I drive a 1987 van, and its license is due for renewal in November. It will be subject to testing this year. If it was an 88 or a 90, it would not be subject to testing until next year. The tests are necessary for cars between 3 and 20 years old.
Further, not all testing facilities have been confirmed for eastern Ontario. By asking around, however, we have found that smaller rural service centres are not going to enter into the program because it would not be profitable for them to do so. There will be no facilities, as far as we know, between Tweed to the west, Perth to the east, and Verona to the south.
The program does have a provision designed to minimize the cost to motorists. There is a repair cost limit which may apply. If a vehicle fails an emissions test, and the owner spends $200 for emissions improvements at an accredited drive clean facility, the vehicle may be licensed for two years even if it fails a subsequent emissions test.
The entire process is entangled in government regulations, and to work through possibilities as they apply to individuals and their vehicles, it is best to either phone 1-888-758-2999, visit www.driveclean.com, or talk to a mechanic who may know how this is supposed to work.
While the Drive Clean program has a reasonable premise, to clean up vehicle emissions, it was constructed with a strong urban bias. Its implementation will sometimes bring hardship to already stressed individuals and families in rural areas, where distances are longer, vehicles are necessities, not conveniences, and incomes are low.
