British Columbia Municipal License Plates

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Throughout 1961-62, a Standing Committee of the BC Legislature on Municipal Matters held hearings in relation to the licensing of commercial vehicles in the province by local government.

The licensing of commercial vehicles had, by this time, become an important source of income for local governments, however, an earlier report by a Provincial Royal Commission of Inquiry into Road-User Charges in 1960 had already determined these charges to be excessive. Specifically:

The question whether a municipality should continue to have their present discretion in levies on commercial vehicles, and which they will no doubt exercise if the Province does not place a reasonable ceiling thereon, is a matter of policy. Our inquiry suggests that the level of these individual municipal levies is already excessive for any privilege which they confer. The pyramiding effect of these levies by many municipalities on commercial vehicles engaged in inter-municipal or long haul operations is as effective as a barrier to inter-provincial commercial road transport as municipal embargos or tariff-walls ... which are illegal. Efficient and competitive intra-provincial commercial road transport is seriously endangered by the "jungle" of multiple municipal commercial vehicle levies.

Municipalities objected to this characterisation and pointed out that the Motor Carrier Act exempted vehicles engaged in the legitimate transport of freight between municipalities.

By way of example, Surrey was shown to have registered 169 vehicles of local business operations in 1961, and a further 499 vehicles originating from outside its boundaries; while Langley licensed 92 local vehicles and another 424 outside vehicles. The point being that outside businesses were disproportionately using local infrastructure and should be required to pay.

In considering changes to the current system, the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) put forward suggestions from its members, including the provincial collection of fees as this "would eliminate the need for a Municipality operating in this controversial field of licensing" (Victoria); that "one licence good for all areas, as per the P.U.C. Plate" be created (West Vancouver); and that "a metropolitan area collection agency be established under the auspices of the U.B.C.M. or some other municipal agency to issue licences" (Burnaby).

Many of the UBCM's suggestions would be incorporated by the Province the following year when it created the single Municipal plate valid throughout British Columbia as well as the related "Exempt" plate.

1963