Taylor Clark
LJI Reporter
Drivers in the Gatineau area could be paying more next year to register a vehicle as the City
looks to implement a vehicle registration tax to fuel public transportation improvements.
At its February 20 meeting, the municipal council agreed to have staff submit a letter of intent to
the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, which is responsible for collecting the tax on
behalf of municipalities.
“We have until the end of March to notify the Government of Quebec of our intention, so we did
not want to miss this opportunity,” former mayor France Bélisle told journalists during a briefing
on February 21 before stepping down from her position the following day.
Since 1992, passenger vehicle owners who reside in certain municipalities have been required to
pay an annual public transit contribution. In the Gatineau area, the annual contribution has been
$30 per year.
With the passing of Bill 39 in 2023, municipalities and regional county municipalities were given
the authority to impose a tax on vehicle registration based on fuel consumption, under certain
circumstances.
“If we didn’t go ahead and signify that, we would spend a year … So, that’s why it was
important to do it following Bill 39,” said Bélisle.
The former mayor said the Comité des finances would be looking into making recommendations
to the Comité exécutif on how much the tax should be and how to re-inject it into public
transportation. Council will later have the final say, but has until March 15 to notify the Société
de l’assurance automobile du Québec of their intention.
To go into effect for next January, a municipal regulation must be adopted no later than May 31,
followed by an agreement between the municipality and the Société de l’assurance automobile
du Québec signed prior to June 15.
Photo caption: Former Ville de Gatineau mayor France Bélisle tells journalists during a press
briefing on February 21 that she’s in favour of a vehicle registration tax to support improving
public transit.
Photo credit: Screenshot from Mêlée de presse du 21 février 2024 for the Comité exécutif