Did you remember to renew your vehicle registration this year?
If you’ve forgotten, you’re not alone.
Raw data from the province shows a significant increase in the number of Alberta drivers who were ticketed for expired registrations or licence plates after the government stopped mailing out reminders.
Service Alberta stopped issuing snail-mail reminders in April 2016, saying a switch to an electronic system would save taxpayers an estimated $3 million in administrative costs.
In the months that followed, the number of tickets handed out for driving with no registration or with an expired plate spiked, according to provincial reports provided to CBC News.
Both infractions carry $300 fines.
In May 2016, 36 per cent more tickets were handed out for both infractions, compared to the same month the year before.
In June 2016, the monthly year-over-year-increase came in at 52 per cent, followed by another spike of 64 per cent in August.
‘People really got into the habit’
It’s no surprise that drivers are ending up on the road with expired paperwork, said Brian Salter, a business support specialist with Alberta Motor Association Registry Services.
People haven’t adjusted well to the change, and there have been numerous complaints from their customers, he said.
“A lot of people are having a hard time adjusting to not getting the printed renewal notices coming in the mail,” Salter said in an interview Wednesday with CBC Radio’s Edmonton AM.
“People really got into the habit of getting those renewal notices in their mailboxes every year.”
‘We’ve definitely seen an increase in the numbers of tickets people are receiving for not having their vehicles registered and that feedback makes it’s way back to us.”
Though the numbers do fluctuate, there is a steady upward trend.
From May 2016 to April 2017, the province issued an average of 44 per cent more tickets than it had a year before.
Assuming that all the fines were paid, that equates to an extra $5 million dollars in revenue over the previous year.
‘Issues during the transition’
The province said the numbers often fluctuate, and the increase should not be attributed to the absence of mailed reminders.
“There have been dips and spikes in traffic tickets over the years, and we cannot attribute them to any one factor,” Tina Faiz, press secretary for Service Alberta, said in an emailed statement.
She also noted that revenues are reinvested in the municipalities.
“For example, driving without a valid licence was down 39 per cent in August 2016 over August 2015, or driving with an expired licence plate was down 25 per cent in August 2017 from August 2016.”
However, Faiz acknowledged that there have been “issues during the transition” to the electronic system.
“That’s why we conducted a province-wide public awareness campaign, made automated calls to more than 2.2 million Albertans, and worked with local registry agents to proactively remind customers to renew.
“We’re pleased that after this change, over 1.1 million Albertans have signed up for email reminders, and that the overwhelming majority of Alberta drivers are renewing their car registration and driver’s licences on time.”
Albertans can still sign up for emailed reminders. Drivers can also renew their vehicle registrations online.
Listen to Edmonton AM with host Mark Connolly, weekday mornings at CBC Radio One, 93.9 FM in Edmonton. Follow the morning crew on Twitter @EdmAMCBC.