Taxi drivers will be compensated for the lost value of their permits, Transport Minister André Fortin announced Friday.
But Fortin said the government still has to determine the value of the compensation, and when the payout will begin.
“We’re talking about a compensation package that has to be discussed with the industry to see how we can best meet the needs of the taxi industry,” Fortin said at an announcement at la Perle Retrouvée, a Haitian community centre and a regular gathering spot for taxi drivers.
Fortin announced the creation of a working group composed of members of the industry and the finance department to figure out how to compensate drivers for the lost values of their permits. Fortin has promised to come up with a concrete solution by February.
Taxi drivers have complained that since the arrival of Uber in the province, the value of their permits — which are required to operate taxis in the province — have drastically declined. First introduced by the government several decades ago, the permits are a way to control the supply of taxis in the province. They are sold on the secondary market, listed on digital billboards like Kijiji and Craigslist, and sell for up to $200,000. A recent Montreal Gazette examination showed permits in the Montreal region declined by between nine and 18.9 per cent in the span of a year.
Fortin also announced a $44-million project over five years to modernize the taxi industry.
Taxi driver and permit owner Dama Metellus said he doesn’t understand why the government is injecting money into the industry, which will go toward taxi companies like Diamond Taxi, while it’s dragging its feet to compensate drivers.
“Diamond and Hochelaga wouldn’t exist if we didn’t buy taxi permits,” he said.
Fortin said the government appears open to revisiting the wisdom of the entire permit system. Currently, there are two classes of drivers, ones who drive taxis and have to pay the permits, and those who drive for Uber and don’t have to buy the permits.
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