Protecting Ontarians by Enhancing Gas Station Safety to Prevent Gas and Dash Act 2023

On March 29th I was proud to introduce The Protecting Ontarians by Enhancing Gas Station Safety to Prevent Gas and Dash Act 2023 which amends the Occupational Health and Safety Act to add a new section to require customers to prepay for gasoline before pumping it from a gasoline pump that has prepayment technology.

The section applies to gas stations in the GTA and any other municipality that passes a resolution requesting the application of the section.

The new section also requires the employer at the station to affix a notice to any pumps with prepayment technology informing customers about the prepayment requirements under the section. The owner of the gas station must ensure that any new or replacement gas pumps that are installed have prepayment technology.

The application of the new section is phased: with a six-month window before any requirements begin to apply, and for the first year after that, the requirement that employers ensure that customers prepay for gasoline applies only to gasoline sold between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Hopefully we can prevent more crime that puts employees, innocent bystanders and even the criminals at risk while costing Ontario businesses millions of dollars a year.

Thank you to everyone who has helped prepare and support this initiative. 

Gas and Dash impact in Ontario

  • Drive-offs : 150/day (avg.)
  • Cost to businesses: $3.75 million in 2022
  • Cost in tax revenue: $197,270 in 2022 
  • Burden on police: York police spent  1,896 hrs on gas theft calls at a cost of $112,988 in 2022
  • Caused preventable deaths of gas station workers, bystanders, even those stealing gas

What changes with Bill 231 

  • The bill amends the Occupational Health and Safety Act
  • Gas stations in the GTA will require prepayment on gasoline sales
  • Outside of GTA, any municipality can “opt in” by passing a resolution
  • Phased application: Six-month window before any requirements begin to apply
  • Grand Father Clause. 

The scale of gas and dash problem in GTA

  • High-risk area
    • York: 66.3% jump in gas and dash (2021-22)
    • Peel: 43.7% rise in gas thefts (2021-22)
    • Halton: 1,000 average cases per year
  •  Tech & resources available to implement bill standards
  •  Piloting it in GTA to help get user feedback and modify specific aspects if needed