If Quebec does not improve its financial offer for public transport, transport companies in the Montreal region will have to make major cuts to the transport network.
Thursday afternoon, the mayors of the Metropolitan Community of Montreal (CMM), including Valérie Plante, from Montreal, Stéphane Boyer, from Laval, and Catherine Fournier, from Longueuil, launched an appeal to the Minister of Transport and Sustainable mobility, Geneviève Guilbault, so that Quebec absorbs a greater share of the deficits of transport companies.
Last week, the minister indicated that Quebec would limit its contribution to 20% aimed at absorbing the projected deficit of $2.5 billion over five years for Quebec’s public transport companies.
The mayors of the Montreal region consider this proposal unacceptable. “Cuts in service could damage Montreal’s reputation and affect its economic potential. If the metro closes at 11 p.m., that means that after a game of the Canadian, there is no longer a metro. This means that when we go to the Grand Prix, of which we are so proud, everyone is stuck on Sainte-Hélène Island because there is no longer a metro,” underlined Mayor Plante during the a press scrum.
“We stand up for the people we represent,” said the mayor of Longueuil. Catherine Fournier recalled that time was running out since cities will have to close their budgets shortly. “We need to have an answer to avoid a catastrophe that awaits us in public transportation,” she said.
For his part, the mayor of Laval, Stéphane Boyer, wondered what Quebec’s vision was in terms of public transportation. “Is our vision less buses, therefore more cars and congestion on our roads? Because that’s where we’re heading if we accept the proposal being made to us at the moment. » For Mr. Boyer, Quebec’s low contribution is equivalent to a government withdrawal from public transport.
Transport companies have developed several cutback scenarios if Quebec does not improve its proposal. It mentions the closure of the metro at 11 p.m. as well as the reduction in the supply of services in Montreal and the suburbs. However, elected officials did not want to give more details on the measures analyzed. Valérie Plante, however, clarified that there was no question of giving up free public transportation for seniors in Montreal, a measure which costs the City 24 million, but which has no impact on other cities. .
Contacted by The duty, M’s officeme Guilbault said he did not want to “negotiate in the public arena” and therefore refrained from comments.
The mayors and the minister should resume dialogue on Friday since a meeting of Mobilité Montréal partners is planned in Montreal. However, elected officials are hopeful that Quebec will listen to their requests.
For his part, the member for Québec Solidaire and responsible for transport issues, Etienne Grandmont, urged Minister Guilbault to convince her government to release the money necessary to revive public transport in Quebec. “We knew that the CAQ did not have much interest in Montreal, but closing the metro at 11 p.m. and removing buses in 2023 is not only a scandal, it is irresponsible! » he said in a statement sent to the media.
With Florence Morin-Martel and Zacharie Goudreault