Provincial gas tax reduction in time for Canada Day— but not everyone is celebrating

If you were one of the thousands of Londoners who bought gas on Thursday— you overpaid.

Drivers will be getting some relief at the pumps starting Canada Day thanks to a temporary provincial tax reduction, but not everyone sees slightly cheaper gas as a reason to celebrate.

Premier Doug Ford announced that the gas tax will be cut by 5.7 cents per litre from July 1 until Dec. 31.

Tax on diesel will drop 5.3 cents.

He urged the federal government to follow suit with the carbon tax.

“People are in desperate need of a little relief right now. We’re stepping up,” Ford said.

Molly Miksa of London Cycle Link says $2 per litre gas has motivated some people to rethink their transportation choices.

“Lots of talk lately in the cycling community about people being inspired to cycle more because it’s so much more expensive to drive,” Miksa tells CTV News.

The premier admits the lost revenue will, “ding us in the budget.”

Miksa suggests rather than a small tax cut, investments should be made in active transportation and alternatives.

“I think it’s a nice bit of public relations for the government, but that money could go a lot farther elsewhere,” she said.