The abandonment of the project for a third road link between Quebec and Lévis, as it was presented during the last provincial elections, continues to arouse indignation.
This time, it is the Alliance of Chambers of Commerce of Chaudière-Appalaches (ACCCA) which, in an open letter, asks the elected members of the government of the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) to keep their commitment from the last two general elections and to build a third link that can serve public transit, cars and goods transportation at the same time.
The group represents 16 Chambers of Commerce which defend more than 5,600 businesses in the region.
“For us and the people we represent, the announcement of the abandonment of this commitment generates indignation, anger and dissatisfaction. The government’s new proposal, which only involves public transit, represents a major breach of trust by voters and business people in Chaudière-Appalaches,” says the ACCCA.
“This lack of vision from the government to support the development and future of our region is totally unacceptable. […] This was an important commitment for the region, which would have made it possible to make traffic more fluid and stimulate economic development, ”the open letter states.
The Alliance of Chambers of Commerce of Chaudière-Appalaches denounces “the lack of evidence” to explain this volte-face by the government.
“While the pandemic has forced several companies to opt for telework, today we are seeing a gradual return to business. This return combined with the start-up of new businesses could make these statistics quickly obsolete.
We directly challenge Prime Minister François Legault to reconsider his decision.
“We are asking the Prime Minister to honor the commitment he also made and to begin construction of a third link that will accommodate public transit, cars and freight transportation. We hope that our voices will be heard, that the government will listen to reason and act quickly to meet the transportation and economic development needs of our region.”
The Alliance of Chambers of Commerce of Chaudière-Appalaches also demands that the Government of Quebec “undertakes to update traffic data annually and to make it public, on a fixed date”.