Driver's licence renewals more than double at turn of the new year

Traffic at Access PEIoffices was way up in the first few days of 2019, which the registry of motor vehicles is crediting to a removal of fees for driver's licences.

There were two and a half times as many licence renewals and almost twice as many vehicle registrations.

As of Jan. 1 driver's licence renewal is free, and most vehicles have seen a reduction in their registration fee. The changes are meant as offset to a new carbon tax on gas.

"There may have been a number of people that held off doing renewals in the previous calendar year," said Graham Miner, P.E.I.'s director of highway safety.

"I expect there were some people that may have not thought much about their expiry dates until they heard about the new policy direction on the free driver's licences and maybe checked their licence and went, 'Oh!" I am expired!'"

The province says in the first three working days of 2019, staff at Access PEI offices provided 1,216 driver's licences and more than 2,200 motor vehicle registrations.

In the first three working days of 2018 there were 479 driver licence renewals and about 1,300 registrations.

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