Government confirms about 178,000 blue licence plates still on the road

There are more blue licence plates on Ontario roads than previously reported and the government is still working on a plan to replace them, CBC News has learned.

The province says about 193,000 blue plates were issued and there are just under 178,000 on the road today. When they were officially scrapped, officials said 145,000 of the plates (which appear to be all in the CM-range) had been distributed.

The Ministry of Government Consumer Affairs refused to provide the current number of plates when CBC News published a story on warnings that went ignored when the plates, which pose serious visibility issues in certain lighting conditions, were rolled out in 2020.

Look around and it's not hard to spot blue plates in highway traffic or on city side streets. This reporter has also seen them on official city vehicles and Toronto police SUVs alike.

After sending a series of follow-up emails about the total number of plates, officials provided the updated figure this week.

The government hasn't said when Ontario drivers will be able to replace their blue plates. 

"Blue licence plates remain valid and our government is developing a process to allow Ontarians to seamlessly replace them when the time comes," said Jennifer Lipkus, a spokesperson for the minister of government and consumer services.