(Quebec) The Quebec state’s mission is to manage roads and not public transport, argued the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Geneviève Guilbault, who does not want to be passed on the operating deficit of companies public transport.
“Managing public transport and transport companies is not a mission of the State,” said Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault during the study of her ministry’s budgetary appropriations.
She responded to questions from Quebec Solidaire MP Etienne Grandmont, who asked her why she did not consider that the highway network was in a “deficit”. “Generally, the road network in Quebec does not generate money. Are you talking about a deficit when we talk about roads or is it just reserved for public transportation? », asked Etienne Grandmont, member of Québec solidaire
“A deficit based on what? A deficit is based on expenses and income in an organization […]. We manage the roads. I’m not sure the comparison holds up,” replied M.me Guilbault. Roads are “a mission of the State,” she retorted.
Significant deficit
The question of the operating deficit of Transport companies was at the center of discussions during this reporting work.
This week, the mayors of Greater Montreal indicated that they could impose up to $228 in tax per car throughout the metropolitan territory starting next year to bail out public transportation, which is facing a deficit of nearly ‘half a billion, or cut services.
Questioned by the liberal Monsef Derraji, she stressed that last year, the Legault government filled 70% of the deficit of the CMM transport companies. “We are more than generous. But it can’t last forever,” she said.
We must find other solutions than just transferring a deficit to the government, a deficit over which the government has no direct control because we are absolutely not involved in the management of transport companies.
Geneviève Guilbault, Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility
She did not want to say whether she preferred an increase in registration taxes or a reduction in services for CMM citizens. But she insisted that “collective transportation in a given territory is first and foremost the responsibility of elected officials and managers of the given territory, and not of all 9 million Quebecers”.
Recover the deficit
“We don’t have the luxury of passing our deficit elsewhere. Everyone, as I like to say, must manage their own fern and find their own solutions. It is not realistic to think that we can just systematically transfer a deficit to the government,” said the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.
She was also questioned by the PLQ and Québec solidaire on the deficit in maintaining public transport assets.
Mr. Derraji was concerned about the disrepair of the Montreal metro, some tunnels and stations of which are in poor condition. The Quebec government uses a scale from A, in very good condition, to E, in very poor condition.
“We are not the manager of the STM infrastructure. When he talks to me about a tunnel that has a “D” or an “E”, I remind him that I have 31,000 km of road to maintain for which there are also quite a few that are in the “C”, of “D” and “E”. So, everyone has their own problems,” she said.
But nevertheless, argued PQ member Joël Arseneau, the government has a sustainable mobility policy where it is committed to increasing the service offering.
“The challenge is huge,” said Mme Guilbault. She maintained that the Legault government is providing record amounts for public transportation, and that cities should optimize their services. In September, it is awaiting the results of an audit that it commissioned from transport companies.
She pointed out that last year, Montreal threatened to close the metro in the evening. “230 fewer positions at the STM later, the metro is still running,” she added.