It isn’t any secret that a large majority of British Columbians dislike, or even despise, ICBC. Not only is the provincial crown corporation at the centre of a huge financial scandal, but they are involved in a number of other controversies, too.
For one, the provider recently hiked their already high rates back in September. That means that the average driver now pays an average increase of $60 and more on their annual fees.
To make matters worse, Attorney General David Eby stated that people were not made aware of just how bleak ICBC’s financial situation was. In fact, once he made the calculations, he said the actual deficit was around $900 million.
In the same month the rates increased, the government launched a Provincial Distracted Driving campaign. Since that time, there were a vast array of tickets issued for the infraction. Yet, many sources believe these claims were exaggerated to ease the deficit.
According to Acuman Law Corporation, “Authorities in BC such as ICBC claim 78 people die per year due to distracted driving. They imply that these numbers are in all respects tied to cell phone use. But the truth is the number of cases where someone is seriously injured or killed in a large city such as Vancouver due to using an electronic device each year is almost non-existent.”
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ICBC Alternative
In April of 2016 ICBC changed their policy regarding marriage certificates, stipulating that they were no longer sufficient proof of identity.
Most government agencies in the province allow birth certificates as proof; however, they stipulate that a person must pick their maiden name or take their their spouse’s last name. Alternatively, they also say that people can opt for a complete name change in this situation.
Unfortunately, many BC residents have a hyphenated surname. As such, this represented a frustrating issue is surfacing for people who have them.
As a result of these issues, people have started an online petition in favour of ending ICBC. It already has 18,752 signatures.
Do you think that ICBC should be scrapped altogether? What would an ideal alternative look like? Do you have any horror stories for the monopolistic provider?
Sound off in the comments below!
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