ontario license plate

There's already a major problem with Ontario's new licence plates

Ontario drivers are once again raising concerns about the Doug Ford government's new, blue licence plates as they begin to roll out on vehicles across the province.

And it's not (only) because they look like Q-tip boxes.

The controversial new plates, with their controversial new logos and their controversial new slogans, are "virtually unreadable at night," as Kingston Police Sgt. Steve Koopman put it in a widely shared tweet over the Family Day long weekend.

Koopman shared a photo on Saturday night of a parked car that had been equipped with the new Ontario licence plates, as all vehicles must be if registered in the province after February 1.

"Ok, this was taken off duty in a relatively well lit parking lot with my headlights on," he wrote in the caption of his tweet. "Did anyone consult with police before designing and manufacturing the new Ontario licence plates?"

The provincial government has not yet made public any record of consultations with police about the plate's design, but Minister of Government and Consumer Services Lisa Thompson did address criticism over its flaws on Monday.

"We have been made aware that some Ontarians are reporting concerns with readability to the naked-eye under certain light conditions," reads a statement from Thompson's office issued to CTV News Toronto.

"The government consulted with key stakeholders, including our law enforcement partners, to test the readability, reflectivity and functionality of the new high definition plate design."

Consumers remain skeptical, given their own experiences on the experiences.

"I saw this on the way to work at 6:30 this morning," wrote one Toronto driver of the issue on Reddit. "Saw a random blue plate and thought 'that's weird, that car has no license plate.' Once I got right behind them at a red light was I able to read it."

"I have perfect eyesight, started noticing these plates more and more on the road," wrote another.

"I can't see the text until I'm literally riding their ass. I thought maybe it was because the plates were getting dirty but they were brand spankin' new and clean!"

People who are displeased with the PC government's performance in office to date are panning the plate situation as another of Doug Ford's "blunders."

"Literally the two skills [Ford] brought to the table was making labels and selling drugs," commented one Twitter user in response to Koopman's original post. "Who knew he would be so awful at both?"

"Finally something the government did poorly that will benefit people," joked another. "Free 407 for all."

Lead photo by

Sgt. Steve Koopman


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