David Eby rules out a new vehicle levy for TransLink
BC NDP leader David Eby said Friday he will not create a new annual fee on registered vehicles in Metro Vancouver, after a radio report said the idea had been under discussion before the election call.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on dailyhive.com.
BC NDP leader David Eby said Friday he will not introduce an annual vehicle levy to fund TransLink, ruling out a proposal that had reportedly been under discussion before he called the provincial election. Daily Hive Urbanized reported the statement on October 2, 2026.
CKNW radio host Jas Johal reported on October 2 that before the election call, the BC NDP government and TransLink had been discussing a possible annual fee of $100 to $150 on every registered vehicle in Metro Vancouver. Under the proposal Johal described, ICBC would collect the fee when vehicle owners renewed their insurance each year.
When reporters asked Eby about the report at a press conference in Kelowna, he was direct. "This is how we always work with TransLink. Bring everything you've got. They did bring forward a proposal for a vehicle levy. We are not going ahead with the vehicle levy. That will not happen," Daily Hive Urbanized quoted him as saying.
The Conservative Party of BC responded by calling the discussions a secret plan. Trevor Halford, the Conservative candidate for Surrey-White Rock, said in a statement that Eby had promised to tax the wealthy but had instead raised costs for lower-income British Columbians. "David Eby cannot be trusted. He will make life more expensive," Halford said, according to Daily Hive Urbanized.
TransLink, in a statement to Daily Hive Urbanized on the same day, said the provincial government is responsible for choosing a new revenue source and that the transit authority has not pushed for any particular option. TransLink also flagged a growing problem with one of its existing funding sources: average fuel consumption per vehicle has fallen 45 per cent since 2002, according to the authority, as more drivers move to electric or fuel-efficient cars. That means the gas tax TransLink collects brings in less money even as the number of vehicles grows.
The underlying funding problem is real and pressing. In 2025, the BC NDP government gave TransLink $312 million in operating support to cover revenue shortfalls through the end of 2027, and committed to passing legislation in 2027 to create a permanent new revenue source beginning in 2028. TransLink says it needs that source to generate at least $112 million a year.
Eby's statement came one day after he announced a separate campaign promise to suspend part of the provincial gas tax, which he said would reduce fuel prices by as much as 30 cents per litre for Metro Vancouver drivers. Daily Hive Urbanized noted that a levy of $100 to $150 annually could offset some of those savings for drivers in the region.
Voters can learn which parties have pledged what on transit funding at /bc/provincial-2026/parties.
Questions this story answers
What is the TransLink vehicle levy that was being discussed?
A levy is a fixed annual fee charged to registered vehicle owners. CKNW host Jas Johal reported on October 2, 2026 that before Premier David Eby called the snap election, the BC NDP government and TransLink had been discussing an annual levy of $100 to $150 per vehicle. Under the proposal, ICBC would collect the fee during annual vehicle insurance renewals. The Conservative Party of BC called the discussion a secret plan.
What did David Eby say about the vehicle levy?
At a press conference in Kelowna on October 2, 2026, Eby said: 'This is how we always work with TransLink. Bring everything you've got. They did bring forward a proposal for a vehicle levy. We are not going ahead with the vehicle levy. That will not happen.' He added that British Columbians are already struggling and that his government cannot ask drivers for more money on top of current costs.
Why does TransLink need new money?
In 2025, the BC NDP government gave TransLink $312 million in operating support, covering revenue shortfalls through the end of 2027. The government also committed to passing legislation in 2027 to create a new long-term revenue source for TransLink beginning in 2028. TransLink says it needs at least $112 million a year from that new source. As more drivers switch to electric and fuel-efficient cars, the existing gas tax that TransLink collects is falling. Daily Hive Urbanized reported that average fuel use per vehicle has fallen 45 per cent since 2002, according to TransLink.
What did the Conservative Party say about the vehicle levy?
The Conservative Party of BC issued a statement calling the levy discussions a secret plan. Trevor Halford, the Conservative Party candidate for Surrey-White Rock, said: 'David Eby promised to tax the rich. Instead, he's raised taxes on the lowest-income British Columbians, and now is threatening to introduce a new tax on cars. David Eby cannot be trusted. He will make life more expensive.' Daily Hive Urbanized reported this statement on October 2, 2026.
What did TransLink say about the vehicle levy?
In a statement to Daily Hive Urbanized on October 2, 2026, TransLink said the provincial government is responsible for choosing the new revenue source and that TransLink has not pushed for any specific option. TransLink also warned that leaving its long-term funding needs unsolved would eventually lead to cuts in both transit services and road investments.
Why is the gas tax TransLink collects declining?
TransLink collects a tax on fuel sold in Metro Vancouver. As drivers switch to battery-electric vehicles and more fuel-efficient cars, they buy less gasoline, so the tax collects less money even as the number of vehicles on the road grows. TransLink told Daily Hive Urbanized that average fuel consumption per vehicle has fallen 45 per cent since 2002. The transit authority expects that revenue to keep falling.
How does this affect the BC NDP's gas tax cut promise?
On October 1, 2026, Eby announced that a re-elected BC NDP government would suspend part of the provincial gas tax to reduce fuel prices by as much as 30 cents per litre. Daily Hive Urbanized noted that a vehicle levy of $100 to $150 a year could offset part of those savings for Metro Vancouver drivers, since both policies would affect what drivers pay. Eby made his ruling-out of the vehicle levy the day after that fuel-tax announcement.
When does TransLink need a new revenue source?
TransLink needs a new revenue source generating at least $112 million annually starting in 2028, when the $312 million in provincial operating subsidies announced in 2025 runs out. The BC government committed in 2025 to passing legislation in 2027 to establish this new funding. What form that funding takes will depend on which party forms government after the October 24, 2026 election.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- Daily Hive Urbanized: David Eby rules out vehicle levydailyhive.com
- Daily Hive Urbanized: Eby announces gas tax cutdailyhive.com
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