Despite the delays related to the call for tenders on the tram’s rolling stock, the mayor of Quebec is keeping its sights set on 2028 for the cars to welcome their first passengers.
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“Delays related to rolling stock do not change anything on the start of construction and delivery in 2028. We are still on this horizon. We had some time. We had planned that space. We are lucky to be able to negotiate, ”said the mayor, Bruno Marchand, on the sidelines of the city council on Monday.
Negotiations
With a single bidder for the future tram cars, Alstom, the City now has the opportunity to discuss with the company, recalls the mayor. But he has no intention of rushing things.
“It’s not true that we’re going to ignore time and negotiate anything.” The preparatory work for the project is progressing as planned.
As for the price of the megaproject, the mayor still cannot come forward. A cost update should be made public in the coming weeks, but we already know that inflation will have caused upward pressure on the bill, which is currently set at $3.965 billion.
Costs
In reply to the head of Équipepriorite Québec, Patrick Paquet, who cites “sources” to affirm that the costs will amount to $6 to $8 billion and who calls for them to be capped at $4 billion, failing which, in his view, it would be necessary to “put the ax” in the project, the mayor questioned the source of this information. “I don’t have that price. I am happy that Mr. Paquet can tell me, he who is very informed of the work, ”he quipped.
Mr. Paquet also predicts that the City will cut five to six kilometers from the project and that the federal government will not fund cost increases of up to 40%. For Mr. Marchand, these claims have “neither head nor tail”. He assured that it is not in the plans to shorten the route. It should also be remembered that before the Holidays, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had confirmed Ottawa’s commitment to fund tram cost overruns in a proportion of 40%.
Official Opposition Councilor Alicia Despins, who spoke Monday in the absence of Leader Claude Villeneuve, absent due to a positive COVID test with “mild” symptoms, says her party is not advocating for set a cap on costs. But she points out that citizens “have a limit” and are beginning to wonder about the bill. “You have to have the best project at the best cost, but there is a question of social acceptability.”
Jackie Smith, head of Transition Quebec, believes that the project is too advanced to put a stop to it.
– With the collaboration of Jean-Luc Lavallée