Transport Canada plans to make it easier for consumers to import vehicles into the country.
New safety rules had put the brakes on cross border shopping for many Canadians, but after weeks of public pressure, the government is looking to bend its own rules.
Mike Hill was lured south of the border in search of savings, but, like many Canadians, it was only after he bought his car in the U.S. that he found out a new Canadian safety rule prevented it from being registered here.
"There's a lot of people that are caught in this predicament, and quite frankly I think the average Canadian wants car prices in Canada to come down dramatically," Hill told Â鶹´«Ã½.
As of Sept. 1, all new Canadian vehicles must have a special anti-theft device, and manufacturers say their U.S. models aren't built to this code.
Officials will now allow U.S. vehicles with anti-theft systems that don't meet Canadian code to be registered in this country.
"It's a step in the right direction, but the key thing to recognize is that it isn't passed yet," said Hill.
Many feel the move doesn't go far enough, as the government is leaving much of the regulatory part in the hands of the manufacturers.
Rob Whitfield, president of Mastergard Enterprises, makes and installs anti-theft immobilization devices which are approved by the Insurance Bureau of Canada, and until the new rule came in, they could be installed into any car.
"Over the last few weeks, there's been a lot of frustration," Whitfield said. "People were not able to put them on unless they had a letter from the manufacturer."
Whitfield is lobbying the government to give more power to consumers instead of manufacturers.
"They are still giving the manufacturer the opportunity of saying 'No, it will compromise their vehicle by having an after-market-fitted immobilizer fitted in,'" Whitfield said. "Of the hundreds and thousands of installs we've done, we've never had a compromise with any vehicle."
Over 130,000 vehicles have been imported into Canada since January.
The proposed changes will take effect Dec. 16.
With a report by CTV Calgary's Sneha Kulkarni
