• Lower Mainland drivers will now pay more than $1 billion in gas taxes due to TransLink and carbon tax hikes

• B.C. gas taxes highest in the country

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BURNABY, B.C.: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) presented a billion dollar cheque to government today symbolizing the billion dollar gas tax grab from Lower Mainland drivers.

For the first time in history, Lower Mainland drivers will pay government more than a billion dollars this year in gas taxes, thanks to recent increases in TransLink and carbon taxes. Greater Vancouver drivers pay nearly 50 cents a litre in gas taxes—the highest on the continent.

“Lower Mainland drivers now pay more than a billion dollars a year in gas tax,” said Jordan Bateman, the CTF’s B.C. Director. “This is highway robbery. Drivers are tired of seeing their hard-earned money evaporate into government’s coffers.”

Last year, government took $958 million from Greater Vancouver drivers in gas taxes, but a two cent per litre increase in TransLink tax and another 1.1 cent increase in carbon tax on July 1 will push that take to $1.02 billion this year.

Bateman noted that Victoria-area drivers will pay $133.8 million in gas tax this year, while British Columbians living outside the Lower Mainland and Capital Region will pay another $687.5 million.

That means drivers across B.C. will pay $1.82 billion next year in gas taxes to various levels of government and transit authorities. Bateman called on government to allocate all gas taxes toward roads and bridges—or cut gas taxes immediately.

“B.C. drivers now pay $1.82 billion every year in gas tax to various levels of government, yet we’re told tolls are necessary for projects like the Highway 1/Port Mann Bridge expansion,” said Bateman. “Clearly there is enough money being taken from drivers to fund these priorities, but government is spending the cash elsewhere.”

Bateman noted that drivers are further taxed through tolls, ICBC’s auto insurance monopoly, municipal property taxes for roads, development cost charges, vehicle registration fees, vehicle purchase taxes, parking taxes and drivers’ licence fees.

“Gas taxes are just one part of sucking as much money out of drivers’ pockets as possible,” said Bateman. “It’s no wonder B.C. drivers are feeling so stretched—government views them as its personal drive through ATM machine.”

For a regional breakdown of total gas taxes paid (Lower Mainland, Victoria, rest of B.C. and total B.C.), please see our backgrounder here.

For a graphic on Lower Mainland gas taxes and revenue, click here.

For the CTF’s national Gas Tax Honesty Day data, click here.