OTTAWA — An internal federal analysis says lower income Canadians are highly dependent on cars to get to work — a finding that surfaces as Ottawa considers infrastructure investment models that could put more toll booths on the country's roads.
The February briefing note was prepared weeks before the Trudeau government signalled its intention to engage institutional investors, such as pension funds, to help raise money for public infrastructure projects.
Senior pension plan officials have said they are looking to invest in infrastructure projects with reliable, predictable returns that could include user fees — like road tolls.
The Finance Department memo says user fees ensure that those who benefit most from infrastructure are the ones who pay for it.
But a case study contained in the secret briefing package warns that when it comes to road tolls, a significant proportion of lower-income Canadians could be forced to dig into their wallets.
The document says 77 per cent of taxpayers in the bottom fifth of all income earners commute to work in private vehicles.
