Financing public transport | Cities deplore Quebec’s “radio silence”

The tone continues to rise on the issue of financing public transportation. The mayors of Greater Montreal are now deploring the government’s “radio silence” since the submission of their counter-offer last week, at a time when the adoption of municipal budgets is imminent.

“There is radio silence from the government and the Minister of Transport. No counter-offer, no phone, no conversation. We are extremely worried. […] We feel backed into a corner,” Mayor Valérie Plante insisted on Tuesday during a press conference held in the premises of the Metropolitan Community of Montreal (CMM).

Again, M^me Plante was accompanied on Tuesday by the mayor of Longueuil, Catherine Fournier, the mayor of Laval, Stéphane Boyer, and the mayor of Mercier, Lise Michaud.

The municipalities, which deplore the government’s “disengagement” in terms of mobility, have already proposed that Quebec assume in the short term 75% of the deficit for the year 2024, estimated at 532 million. Their formal request to the government thus amounts to only 400 million for next year.

According to our information, Quebec is still preparing a counter-offer of more than 200 million for 2024, but does not intend to go as high as 300 million. However, according to the cities, aid of less than 300 million for 2024 would lead to numerous service cuts in the metro, which should close after 11 p.m., and on the bus networks.

“Right now, we have to operate with assumptions. And we cannot be rigorous if we do not have figures in front of us,” argued Catherine Fournier.

In the office of the Minister of Transport, Geneviève Guilbault, they retort that it is false to say that no conversation is taking place. “The different cabinets are in constant discussion,” says the director of communications, Maxime Roy, recalling that the minister and municipal elected officials “were seated together on Friday” during a meeting initially focusing on Mobilité Montréal.

“David versus Goliath”

Stéphane Boyer deplores the fact that cities are put “in a situation where they have to negotiate billions of dollars in a few days”. “We are not playing on equal terms. We are David against Goliath,” he thundered, accusing the government of passing “the burden” of financing onto cities.

“For our part, on the crowns, it is unthinkable to ask citizens to pay for public transport that they do not currently have,” finally judged Mayor Michaud.

In short, this issue will continue to cause a lot of ink to flow, unless a rapid agreement is reached, over the coming days. In Quebec, M^me Guilbault should react to this new outing by municipal elected officials later Tuesday, from Parliament Hill.

“If we put all the money into the deficits of public transport companies, where do we get it? Where do I cut? In housing, in public safety? […] It’s as if the more money we put in, the more we’re asked for. It can’t work like that,” she judged on Friday.

Officially, M’s latest offering^me Guilbault returns to absorbing 20% ​​of the deficits of transport companies – with aid of 502.8 million over five years. The Fathersse However, revealed last week that Quebec would soon make a new offer to Greater Montreal transport companies, increasing its aid for 2024 from 150 to more than 200 million dollars.

One thing is certain: it still appears difficult to find common ground, especially since the two parties do not even agree on the calculation of the deficit. The government is of the opinion that transport companies overestimate it by around 100 million. A vagueness also remains regarding the use of the new tax on registration in Greater Montreal: the municipalities want to use the kitty to develop the network while the government rather expected that it would be used to reduce the deficit .

With Tommy Chouinard