Will Ontario's proposed gas price cuts help sway votes?

Filling up your gas tank might become noticeably cheaper for Ontario drivers this summer.

The Doug Ford government introduced legislation Monday to bring the cost of gas down.

After months of pain at the pumps, relief could be on the way for drivers.

"Before the high prices, it cost me $40. Now it's quite close to $70," one driver told CTV News while filling up in the North Bay area.

Once passed, the province would cut the gas tax by 5.7 cents per litre and the fuel tax by 5.3 cents per litre for six months.

"Anything they can do to help us would be great," another driver told CTV News.

The government estimates drivers will save an average combined savings of about $465 in 2022.

With a provincial election on the horizon, David Tabachnick, a political science professor at Nipissing University, said a campaign promise of this magnitude will resonate with undecided voters.

"Ford is trying to thread the needle a bit here, taking some things from the federal government, like $10 a day daycare, while trying to reject other things like the carbon tax. It's good politics," Tabachnick said.

The promise of gas price reduction is creating cautious optimism from drivers, some who have had to stretch their wallets thin to fill up.

"I'm always optimistic about it. But we always hear lawmakers saying they're going to lower the prices and it never seems to trickle up here," a third driver told CTV News.

Once passed, drivers could see prices going down at the start of July.

"Will this satisfy the voters? Will it put enough money in their pockets to help them get by," Tabachnick said. "We'll just have to wait and see."