Tweet
As of yesterday afternoon, the registration and importation of NEW RHD vehicles, with the exemption of those registered before April 29th 2009, are prohibited.
Thank you, Quebec..
Thank you, Quebec..
Provincial Transport Minister Julie Boulet banned right-hand-drive vehicles from Quebec roads yesterday.
Audrey Chaput, spokesperson for the Société d'assurance automobile du Québec, said the insurance board, which is also responsible for highway safety, called for the ban because she says there is an estimated 30-per-cent higher risk of accident with right-hand-drive vehicles.
Used JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars enter Canada under a loophole allowing vehicles 15 years old and older into the country without inspection.
They are attractive to young drivers because they are cheap, have no rust, low mileage and offer higher performance than comparable models on the Canadian market, Chaput said.
"Young drivers can buy a high-performance car for less," she said.
"I was not aware (of the ban)," said Wias Ilyasi, of JDM Nagoya Direct Import in Montreal, a company importing high-performance used cars from Japan.
"We have 10 cars in our warehouse. (Now) we can't sell them."
Ilyasi said he doesn't accept the claim that right-hand-drive cars are more accident-prone.
"It's bulls--t," he said. "It's just a pretext to help the small street-corner dealers."
A Honda Civic he imports can cost $5,000 to $6,000 and comes with a more powerful motor than a new, Canadian-made Civic.
Ilyasi estimated it would cost an extra $4,000 to get the same performance options on a new Civic purchased here.
Quebec announced plans to ban the right-hand-drive cars on April 29, giving interested parties 180 days to comment. The 180 days ended yesterday.
There are exceptions to the new rule for vehicles registered in Quebec before April 29 and for vehicles registered outside Quebec.
Vehicles built 25 years before they were imported into Canada are not affected.
Trucks, snowblowers and vehicles making frequent stops, such as rural mail-
delivery vehicles, and utility vehicles are also exempted.
The ministerial decree extends to K Trucks. The small Japanese delivery trucks will be allowed, but not on highways where the speed limit exceeds 70 kilometres per hour and will be registered with "C" licence plates.
Audrey Chaput, spokesperson for the Société d'assurance automobile du Québec, said the insurance board, which is also responsible for highway safety, called for the ban because she says there is an estimated 30-per-cent higher risk of accident with right-hand-drive vehicles.
Used JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars enter Canada under a loophole allowing vehicles 15 years old and older into the country without inspection.
They are attractive to young drivers because they are cheap, have no rust, low mileage and offer higher performance than comparable models on the Canadian market, Chaput said.
"Young drivers can buy a high-performance car for less," she said.
"I was not aware (of the ban)," said Wias Ilyasi, of JDM Nagoya Direct Import in Montreal, a company importing high-performance used cars from Japan.
"We have 10 cars in our warehouse. (Now) we can't sell them."
Ilyasi said he doesn't accept the claim that right-hand-drive cars are more accident-prone.
"It's bulls--t," he said. "It's just a pretext to help the small street-corner dealers."
A Honda Civic he imports can cost $5,000 to $6,000 and comes with a more powerful motor than a new, Canadian-made Civic.
Ilyasi estimated it would cost an extra $4,000 to get the same performance options on a new Civic purchased here.
Quebec announced plans to ban the right-hand-drive cars on April 29, giving interested parties 180 days to comment. The 180 days ended yesterday.
There are exceptions to the new rule for vehicles registered in Quebec before April 29 and for vehicles registered outside Quebec.
Vehicles built 25 years before they were imported into Canada are not affected.
Trucks, snowblowers and vehicles making frequent stops, such as rural mail-
delivery vehicles, and utility vehicles are also exempted.
The ministerial decree extends to K Trucks. The small Japanese delivery trucks will be allowed, but not on highways where the speed limit exceeds 70 kilometres per hour and will be registered with "C" licence plates.
Comment