Cornwall Ontario – MPP Jim McDonell is responding to numerous complaints from constituents against the Ministry of Transportation’s (MTO) medical review delays by launching a petition to impose a reasonable service guarantee for Ontario drivers waiting to be re-instated.

“A license is suspended immediately upon the Ministry being notified that someone’s condition may make them an unsafe driver”, MPP Jim McDonell explained. “That part of the process is a reasonable public safety measure. Once a doctor clears the patient to drive again, however, the Ministry lets the file sit on a desk for 30 business days before re-instating the license. This makes no sense. MTO’s diligence in suspending the license should be matched by an equal commitment to setting things right.”

License suspensions for medical reasons affect regular and commercial drivers without the possibility of temporary respite. There is no process by which a complete application for re-instatement may be expedited, despite a physician’s positive medical recommendation.

“Thirty business days of inactivity can kill a business reliant on the owners’ and employees’ ability to drive”, MPP McDonell stated. “In our region owning and operating a vehicle isn’t an option – it’s essential to carry out daily activities such as working, shopping and getting to medical appointments. The delay in reviewing complete re-instatement applications is entirely artificial. It has no basis in law, regulation or public policy, and it must go.”

The petition can be signed at MPP Jim McDonell’s constituency office at 120 Second St W in Cornwall, or downloaded from www.jimmcdonellmpp.ca/petitions and mailed to the office. Only original signatures are accepted by the Legislature.