Brampton council renews calls on Ford government for ‘fair deal’ on auto insurance rates for residents

bramptonguardian.com
Graeme Frisque
Feb. 24, 2022

Brampton city council is continuing its years-long push for the provincial government to do something about high auto insurance rates in Canada’s ninth-largest city.

Brampton dropped from first to fourth on the list for highest auto insurance premiums in Ontario in a recent report from RATESDOTCA after holding the top spot for several years.

According to the report, Vaughan now ranks as the most-expensive Ontario city to insure a vehicle at an average of $2,179 in 2021. RATESDOTCA said Brampton residents now pay an average of $1,976, down 26.8 per cent compared to 2020.

The decline in rates is being attributed to a significant drop in auto insurance claims during the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, Brampton council believes rates are still way too high and have renewed their call on the Ontario government under current Premier Doug Ford to end so-called “postal code discrimination.”

“Brampton city council asks that the Government of Ontario bring Bill 42, the Ending Discrimination in Automobile Insurance Act, forward, to make life equitable and more affordable for Brampton residents,” read a release from the city.

Bill 42, first tabled by Brampton West Progressive Conservative MPP Amarjot Sandhu in the fall of 2018, has stalled in the Ontario legislature since its second reading at Queen's Park in 2019 and currently remains under standing committee review.

The city says a petition that's part of its #FairDealForBrampton campaign has garnered more than 19,000 signatures.

“As our residents and people across Ontario continue to grapple with financial challenges that arose from the COVID-19 pandemic, all levels of government must work together to address the high costs of auto insurance in our province,” said Mayor Patrick Brown in the release.