Majority in Quebec oppose fees based on vehicle size: poll

Advocates call for SUV tax in Quebec A prominent environmental group is calling on the Quebec government to impose a tax on people who own gas powered SUVs

A recent poll shows that Quebecers want to be better informed about the environmental footprint of vehicles, but they are not as enthusiastic when asked whether owners of large vehicles should pay more.

A poll conducted by Léger on behalf of Équiterre shows that 58 per cent of people are in favour of stricter controls on advertising for light trucks, including SUVs, for example, by making it compulsory to display CO2 emissions and the total price of the vehicle.

The survey also shows that a majority of respondents are opposed to registration fees or insurance premiums being based on vehicle size.

Thus, 44 per cent of respondents agree with paying registration fees based on vehicle size, while 48 per cent disagree.

Setting car insurance premiums based on vehicle size was agreed by 41 per cent of respondents and opposed by 50 per cent.

The survey also shows that 40 per cent of Quebecers agree with imposing an additional tax "on the sale of new SUV, pick-up truck and van models to finance various environmental measures set out in the plan for a green economy," compared with 51 per cent who disagree.

The imposition of higher parking charges for SUVs, trucks and vans (parking stickers, parking meters), as is the case in some areas of Montreal, is supported by only 30 per cent of respondents, while 61 per cent are opposed.

A quarter of survey participants would like to see a toll for large vehicles (including SUVs) in certain defined areas such as city centres, compared with 63 per cent who are opposed to this type of measure.

Also, 27 per cent of respondents agree with banning advertising for large vehicles, while a large majority, 63 per cent, disagree.

The poll also showed that just over half of respondents thought that the variety of small cars available on the market in Quebec was sufficient, while around a third thought the opposite.

The survey was conducted in June 2023 among 1,001 people. The maximum margin of error for a sample of this size is plus or minus 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 6, 2023.