To the editor:
I read with great interest your editorial in the Aug. 28 edition of Capital News: ICBC Bungled by the Liberals. It outlined the scandals involving pay of top bureaucrats assigned to running this monolithic monopoly.
Having recently moved here from Alberta, where vehicle insurance is run by the private sector thereby affording the consumer a choice of companies, I was astounded at the rates for registering a motor vehicle in BC.
For example: A 2005 Honda Goldwing in Alberta is $450 a year. For the same coverage in Kelowna, I was quoted nearly $1,600 a year. I have two other vehicles which, in B.C., will cost more than $500 more per vehicle per year for the same coverage.
When I went to register my vehicles, I presented to the agent my claims history, which is no claims, from my Alberta company. In the letter my Alberta company went back to 2006 for my claims history. However, they made a typo and instead of 2006 they inserted 1006. I noticed this upon receipt of the letter but thought nothing of it, thinking that it would be acknowledged by ICBC as an error and corrected.
The ICBC agent told me that it could not be accepted as is due to the typo.
Not believing the agent, I contacted ICBC by phone and they confirmed that they would not accept it, saying that they cannot assume anything.
You can’t teach common sense and you can’t fix stupid.
Privatize motor vehicle insurance for the good of all B.C. residents.
Governments should govern, not be in business which could be best handled by the private sector.
Gordon Ricketts,
Kelowna
