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Plympton-Wyoming not collecting cash for 402 rescues

March 16, 2021

Heather Wright/The Independent

One Plympton-Wyoming councillor is wondering where the money has gone.

Councillor Mike Vasey – who three years ago was the fire chief in Wyoming – questioned why the revenue from the Ministry of Transportation for fire response on the 402 is non-existent.

The ministry paid Wyoming Fire around $20,000 a year for responding to accidents on the provincial highway. But in the last three years, that money has dried up.

Vasey wondered what happened.

CAO Carolyn Tripp, a member of the fire executive board, says the MTO has recently changed its billing system.

“The whole system changed and everyone’s having problems with it, but Warwick has figured it out recently, so we’re going to be working with them, we’ve already had one meeting with them. And that’s going to be worked out over this year. But there’s no guarantees. The MTO won’t share any information and the OPP won’t either,” she says.
“It’s been a long battle to get these things done.”

“I just don’t know how this could go on for three years and no one pick up on it,” Vasey says.

He suggested at one time the municipality threatened to stop servicing the 402 and perhaps that should be on the table again if the MTO isn’t willing to cooperate.
He says if things don’t improve quickly, the town should contact the local MPP, Bob Bailey, and the ministry and OPP to straighten out the problem.

Tripp is hopeful once a solution is found, the revenue from the past three years can be recouped.

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