Montreal drivers pay almost $200 more in gas taxes than other Canadians

With six different taxes to pay every time they go to the pump, Montreal drivers are paying more for gasoline taxes than any other urban centre in the country.

A report released by the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation shows Montrealers pay $2.9 billion in gas tax each year.

That's $923 per driver per year – almost $200 more than the average Canadian driver.

While there’s the carbon tax, the federal excise tax, the provincial fuel tax, and the public transit tax to take into account, the government QST and GST is taxed on top of that.

“After adding all those up, we’re adding the two sales taxes (GST and QST) on top of the already existing taxes. So yes, we’re taxing the taxes in Quebec,” said Carl Vallée, Quebec director of the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation.

Montrealers pay $0.52 per litre in taxes, double that paid by other jurisdictions across the country.

"It's not enough to be the most taxed in North America, we also have to be among the most taxed at the pump," said Vallée in a news release. "What's more, these six taxes at the pump do not even translate into better infrastructure for Montrealers and for all Quebecers. What is all this money for? "

The provincial fuel tax is set at a fixed rate of 19.2 cents per litre in Quebec, well above the Canadian average.

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Quebec taxpayers, and Montreal drivers in particular, are entitled to expect their infrastructure to be in better shape given those extra fees, the federation argued.

"Despite the billions of dollars they receive in taxes on gasoline, the city of Montreal and the government of Quebec struggle to keep our roads in good condition, it is only necessary to drive in Montreal to see it," added Vallée. "Either governments lower taxes at the pump, or they have to do a better job of repairing our roads. The current situation is untenable; Motorists cannot take it anymore."

Vallée said Montrealers have the worst roads in Canada.

“The results really speak for themselves. You can see the roads here in, like in NDG, Montreal. We have potholes everywhere. We’re spending millions on lighting up the bridge, but we can’t fix our potholes and I think it’s a fundamental problem,” he said.