Québec solidaire (QS) is calling for emergency aid for public transit companies that have been hard hit by the pandemic.
This file needs an “electroshock”, but the Legault government does not seem to be aware of it, according to QS spokesperson for transport, Étienne Grandmont.
In a press briefing at the National Assembly on Friday, he lamented that the service is declining, especially in Montreal, where the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) no longer guarantees passages every 10 minutes.
Last Monday, the parliamentary leader of QS, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, questioned Prime Minister François Legault on this issue, stressing the importance of not reducing the supply of public transport services.
“The traffic is not returning to the pre-pandemic level, explained Friday Mr. Grandmont. Having fewer passengers means less revenue, and less revenue means less good service. »
The result, according to him: “even fewer people use public transport”, whereas these must be part of the strategy to fight against climate change.
“We are asking that the government immediately inject funds to maintain the service, and then sit down with the transport companies to review the mode of financing which is outdated”, he hammered.
Mr. Grandmont cited the Urban Transport Association of Quebec, which brings together all transport companies in Quebec, and which estimates the shortfall of transport companies at $ 560 million in 2023.
If nothing is done quickly, this amount could rise to $900 million in 2027.
“The vicious circle of the decline in services, we are seeing it in Montreal, but we will see it elsewhere in Quebec,” warned the MP for Taschereau.
In a written statement sent to The Canadian Press on Friday, the Minister of Transport, Geneviève Guilbault, said she believed “fully in the potential of public transit”.
She recalls that her government did not hesitate to support transport companies during the pandemic by investing $1.7 billion to compensate for the drop in ridership.
“We are in regular contact with these organizations. […] We will have solutions to present over the next few months,” she said.