ICBC’s New Windshield Policy Causing Controversy

PRINCE GEORGE- It’s been more than a week since ICBC announced it will take a larger discount for windshield replacements to reduce costs, as it says it spent 96 million dollars on the repair last year. Repair shops across the province say the discount, increased from 11 per cent to 25 per cent, could force layoffs or closures of smaller, local shops. “They’re faced with a big cut on their profitability so that’s going to make it very tight,” says Independent Glass Distributors Vice President, Pat Frey. The new policy also says shops must find the least expensive glass which may impact wait times in the North. “It forces the glass shop to try and source the part from a dealer, see if it’s available, verify that pricing is correct, and if they wanted a dealership to provide the part, particularly in the North where they don’t have the luxury of having a lot of the dealership available, it could be upwards of a week or two,” adds Frey. Those affected by the policy change are upset the government didn’t consult with them before implementing it. Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond agrees, “we’re hoping the government will listen… people are standing up, certainly in my community and others, and I’ve asked the Attorney General to consider sitting down and having a conversation with these small business owners.”

ICBC says this change will help to take some of the pressure off insurance rates, as the number of crashes and claims grow across the province.