Watchdog to investigate licence suspensions
‘Systemic problem’ in ministry has left some drivers in the dark for years about licence status, ombudsman says
The Ontario ombudsman wants to slam the brakes on the practice of government failing to tell drivers when their licences are suspended and reinstated.
In the wake of stories by the Star’s Norris McDonald, Paul Dubé announced Wednesday he would be probing how the Ministry of Transportation communicates news of licence suspensions and reinstatements to motorists.
“We have heard from drivers who went for years without knowing their licences were suspended,” said Dubé.
“When they finally found out, it was through their insurance company or police, not the ministry — which then treated them as brand new drivers, requiring them to go through the graduated licensing program to have their licences reinstated,” he said.
Dubé said, while his office has been working with transportation officials in recent years to improve suspension and reinstatement fee notification letters, complaints continue.
That suggests “an underlying systemic problem” in a department that sends out about 130,000 suspension notices annually to drivers who have failed to pay traffic fines, he said.
Celso Pereira, press secretary to Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca, said the ministry “takes the concerns of the ombudsman very seriously.”
“As we have said prior to this announcement, we understand that there are concerns that the system should be strengthened to ensure effective notification, and that is why we are already taking a look at the matter,” Pereira said.
“The ombudsman’s investigation will assist with the internal work the ministry is already doing in collaboration with partner ministries to find the most effective way to notify drivers whose driver’s licences are suspended.”
In March, the Star disclosed the plight of Leslieville’s James Strachan, 40, who learned this year his licence had been under suspension since 2013 after he forgot to pay a speeding ticket for going 15 km/h above the speed limit on Hwy. 401 near Oshawa.
Even though Strachan had paid his fine in 2013 — five months late — his licence, which had been suspended without his knowledge, was not reinstated.
An offender has 15 days to either pay a fine or dispute a ticket. If neither is done, the court can order a licence suspension.
His bureaucratic nightmare came to a head this past February when he was stopped by the OPP and told he was driving under suspension.
Strachan paid $150 to reinstate his licence, only to be told he would have to undergo the graduated licensing program from scratch, which can take up to two years and cost $300.
“I’m not saying the ministry didn’t try to inform me,” he told McDonald earlier this year. “I’m saying that I wasn’t informed. The ministry might well have sent a letter telling me of the suspension, but I didn’t receive it. Somebody else might have found it in their mailbox, but I never received anything telling me this.”
Despite that, Strachan was able to renew his licence plate sticker at least twice, purchase another car and renew his auto insurance several times without anyone pointing out his licence was under suspension.
After the Star published his story, more than100 readers came forward with similar tales.
Dubé said if anyone else has experienced such problems they can fill out a confidential complaint form at ombudsman.on.ca or call 1-800-2631830.