Two Winnipeggers who decided not to renew their driver’s licences say a little-known Manitoba Public Insurance policy is bullying them into paying for unneeded licences.

Mathew Fiola, 21, said he was shocked to receive a letter from a collection agency last month for the $53 cost of renewing his beginners licence with MPI, after letting it lapse last October to save money for school.

“I just decided to wait until I have money,” said Fiola. “I don’t drive, so really there’s no reason for me to have it.”

Fiola’s story was not a surprise for Chelsea Miller, 24, who also doesn’t drive and just last month ended up paying the $65 for her unneeded licence after getting a similar letter threatening to take her to court over the costs of her lapsed licence.

“I thought it was a bit ridiculous,” said Miller, who walks or takes the bus to work every day. “To MPI $65 is nothing, but to me it’s a bit hard to come up with, especially when I don’t need (the licence). I felt threatened.”

Manitoba Public Insurance spokesman Brian Smiley said a new policy started in July 2010 designed to make renewing their products easier for customers is to blame for the pair’s woes.

“We moved in 2010 to what we call a five-year renewal system and what will happen is the customer will get a statement every year … in that statement it says if a person wants to change things, they need to go to their broker and change it,” said Smiley, who admits he wasn’t aware the policy included licences until he looked into it.

Fiola said he can’t afford the $53, adding he’s worried about his credit rating. He said MPI should have done a better job of letting people know about the policy change.

“Your credit rating stays with you until you die,” he said. “No one knows about this … and I think people should be warned.”