Nova Scotia to stick with motor vehicle inspection system

Public Works Minister Kim Masland says her government will stick with Nova Scotia's motor vehicle inspection system.

Masland told reporters following a cabinet meeting in Halifax on Thursday that survey work on the issue started at the beginning of the year after the idea was brought to government, although she did not say who advanced the idea.

The government "felt the pulse" of Nova Scotians and the business community through polling and by Tory MLAs talking with people in their constituencies, she said.

"The feeling was pretty much seven out of 10 Nova Scotians were saying, 'Keep the motor vehicle inspection program, we need it to make sure that vehicles are safe on the roads.'"

In Nova Scotia, motor vehicle inspections need to be renewed every two years, except in the case of a new car, which comes with a sticker good for three years. But there are other provinces that do not require MVIs except in specific cases, such as importing a car from another province or country.

No evidence of improved safety

Masland conceded she has no evidence that the inspection system makes cars safer or reduces accidents, but "common sense would tell you" that vehicles experience wear and tear on the roads.

The minister said she recently learned that the brakes on her car needed to be repaired only after bringing the vehicle in to get its MVI sticker renewed.

Masland said she doesn't believe there are many mechanics telling people they need unnecessary work in order to get a new sticker.

"I trust the mechanics. These are hard-working Nova Scotians," she said. "These are people that are out there busting it every day in grease to make a living."

Masland did not rule out extending the renewal period for MVIs, an idea the NDP advanced in February when it called for the period to be increased to five years.

Other ways to save people money

NDP Leader Claudia Chender said the government also needs to look at getting rid of the licence renewal fee, which she characterized as "a couple hundred bucks just for the privilege of being a driver."

"It has no connection to anything," she told reporters. "We have yet to hear the government opine on that."

Liberal Leader Zach Churchill said doing away with MVIs would not have saved people much money and he believes the system ultimately helps keep people safer on the roads.

Churchill said that if the government wants to save people money, it should look at changes to larger fees and tax measures to make a difference.

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