Ontario Liberals revive bill to cut car insurance rates

Ontario's governing Liberals are reviving legislation aimed at reducing auto insurance rates and inflated towing costs.

The Liberals introduced two bills in the spring to help reduce auto insurance premiums by an average of 15 per cent across the province, but they were scrapped when an election was called. The government had touted the bills as a way to combat fraud, to make it easier to settle disputes, to provide better oversight and to curb costs and tighten rules for tow truck operators.

They're being combined into a single piece of legislation that's all but certain to pass since the Liberals now have a majority of seats in the legislature.

It would move the dispute resolution system for injured drivers from Ontario's insurance regulator to an existing tribunal run by the Ministry of the Attorney General. It would also force tow truck operators to get permission from a driver before charging for towing and storage services, post their prices and provide itemized invoices detailing all charges.

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