Michael Mantha, MPP for Algoma-Manitoulin, has introduced legislation to end private, third-party contracts for driver examinations in Ontario.
The Safer Driving Tests Act (Ending the Privatization Failure), 2024 will require that all driver examinations in Ontario are carried out by the Ministry of Transportation, and not third-party contractors.
“It’s become clear that operating driver examinations through a for-profit company is not delivering a reliable service to Ontarians,” said Mantha in a release issued by his office.
“Failures to properly carry out testing requirements, an inability to hold the service provider accountable, and huge geographic service gaps have plagued the current system. This decade long privatization debacle needs to end.”
In 2023, the Auditor General of Ontario published a value-for-money audit of the contract between the Government of Ontario and Serco. It found that Serco had underperformed, failed to meet contractual obligations, and was given millions of dollars in tax-payer money to carry out services they’d promised to fund themselves.
Despite this, Doug Ford’s government signed a two-year extension with Serco without holding a competitive bidding process. The two-year extension failed to include improved performance standards and, in some cases, relaxed previous performance indicators. The contract was originally signed by the previous Liberal government in 2013.
Almost all other provinces in Canada deliver driver examinations through government divisions or Crown corporations.
“More information continues to come to light that shows the privatization of driver examinations has led to our roads becoming less safe.” Mantha said citing a CBC report from earlier this year on fraud in commercial driver training. “It’s time to return transparency and accountability to our licensing system in Ontario and end these wasteful private contracts.”
Mantha’s bill will be debated at second reading during his next ballot date.