Ford proposes toll removal on Hwy. 407 East, making gas tax cut permanent

Doug Ford says a re-elected Progressive Conservative government would remove tolls from the eastern provincially-owned section of Highway 407 and make the gas tax cut permanent.

Ford made the announcement alongside Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy in Pickering, Ont., on Wednesday afternoon.

“With President Trump continuing to threaten tariffs that would skyrocket costs for hard-working families, it’s never been more important to protect people’s wallets by putting more money back into their pockets,” Ford said in a release.

“Our PC team will save Ontario drivers thousands of dollars every year by axing tolls on Highway 407 East and making our cut to the gas tax permanent. We’ll protect Ontario drivers by banning congestion charges just like we banned road tolls.”

Highway 407 East runs between Brock Road in Pickering and Highway 115 in Clarington. According to the province, this move would save daily commuters $7,200 each year.

Ontarians head to the polls on Feb. 27 and Highway 407 is expected to be a key issue as leaders look for ways to alleviate painstaking traffic congestion.

In January, NDP Leader Marit Stiles said her party would remove tolls on the 407 for all drivers if they form government in the upcoming election. The party also pledged to buy back the privately-owned section of the highway.

Ahead of the election call, Ford said he was warming up to the idea of buying back Highway 407, which has been privately operated under a 99-year lease agreement since 1999.

The Mike Harris government sold Highway 407 in 1999 for $3.1 billion to a consortium that included SNC Lavalin, Quebec’s provincial pension fund, and Spanish company Ferrovial.

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 50.01 per cent of 407 ETR, the organization which runs the tolled highway. The province still owns a 22-kilometre stretch on the highway’s eastern flank and drivers pay a significantly cheaper toll than the private portion of the highway.

Ford also proposed making the 5.7-cent tax cut on gas and 5.3-cent cut on diesel permanent. The province first temporarily slashed the gasoline and diesel tax rates in July 2022 but have repeatedly extended the cuts since.

With files from 680 NewsRadio and CityNews staff, and The Canadian Press