Ont. to announce plans for 'high-occupancy' toll lanes

The Ontario government has announced that solo drivers will be able to purchase a transponder that enable charges for the privilege of driving in high-occupancy vehicle lanes.

The Ontario government says it will announce plans to implement high-occupancy tolls lanes in the GTA.

Steven Del Duca, minister of transportation, will make the announcement Monday morning at a transportation management centre in Toronto.

The lanes are part of the Ontario Liberals' plan to generate new revenue that they say is needed to fund a transit and infrastructure expansion proposal designed to ease gridlock.

Earlier this year, Del Duca said that permanent HOV lanes were on the provincial government's radar to be converted into toll lanes. General lanes, however, such as those on Highway 401, will not be converted to HOT lanes.

"At this time, the plan would not be to remove a general-purpose lane," Del Duca said in August.

The province's existing HOV lanes are located on Highways 403, 404, 417 and the QEW. In total, there are 94 kilometres of HOV lanes.