NB proposes province-wide highway tolls

FREDERICTON — New Brunswick’s minister of finance Blain Higgs is considering putting tolls on provincial highways.

Higgs proposed the idea last week at a pre-budget meeting in Fredericton.

New Brunswick’s deficit is $820 million and Higgs cites surveys that indicate people are in favor of the tolls as a way to cut the deficit.

"In our responses in the surveys, I would say tolls is probably almost
number one," he was quoted by CBC.

John Chisholm echoed Higgs’ comments adding that tolls should be an equal opportunity revenue generator.

“Put the tolls back on the highways and not just on the tractor-trailers. Put a toll booth at every entrance to the province and you’ve got everybody," Chisholm says.

Though, truckers will still pay the largest share under such a policy, John Marc Picard, executive director of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association, tells CBC.

"It’s a big concern because our industry is always the biggest contributor to these tolls. We’re always going to pay the most," says Picard.

"They’re removing the Saint John tolls on the bridge in March and now they’re turning around and they want to put some more tolls. I mean they’re hard to figure out," says Picard.

Picard says he’ll try and get an emergency meeting with the minister of finance regarding the tolls.