Ontario NDP pledge to get rid of tolls for all drivers on Hwy. 407 if elected

Ontario's New Democrats say they would eliminate tolls on Highway 407 for all drivers within the first 100 days of forming government if they win the next provincial election. 

Party Leader Marit Stiles says the plan would save commuters' in the Greater Toronto Area time and money. 

"More than ever, people are sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic, trying to get home to their families, trying to get to work. The anxiety, the stress is out of this world," she said a news conference Monday announcing the pledge. 

"It's time we put some money back in the pockets of Ontarians, and we got them home faster to their families."

Stiles said an NDP government would remove tolls for trucks on the 407 on her first day in office, while also removing tolls on the provincially-owned portion of the highway. 

She said she would open negotiations with 407 ETR, the company responsible for the tolls on the highway, to remove tolls for all vehicles on the 407 within her first 100 days in office. 

CBC News has reached out to the ministry of transportation for comment. 

Highway 407 toll rates were increased for many drivers under 407 ETR's new rate schedule for 2025. 

Under the rate changes, the average monthly bill for a person driving a light vehicle will go up by $8, the 407's vice-president of communications and government relations, Christina Basil told CBC Toronto via email earlier this month. 

Premier Doug Ford is set to trigger a 28-day election campaign this Wednesday, nearly a year and a half before the province's next fixed election in June 2026. That would see Ontarians going to the polls Feb. 27.