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Thousands of furious taxi drivers clogged streets and caused major traffic jams in Montreal and Quebec City on Monday.
The protest followed an announcement by the provincial government that they will overhaul the taxi industry in the near future.
Drivers say they owe tens of thousands of dollars to creditors because they took out loans to purchase taxi permits, which they claim are now worthless because of the government’s decision to end a permit quota system.
Implented decades ago, Quebec’s permit system sets strict limits on the number of taxis allowed in each city across the province, with the goal of blocking competition and providing drivers a stable revenue.
However, the price of permits skyrocketed reaching as much as $200,000 in Montreal, forcing drivers to take out loans to finance their permits.
No line-up for taxis at the Montreal airport today. They’re on strike, though someone at the taxi stand told me there are a handful of drivers who still showed up to work today. pic.twitter.com/F1bgSMrRrP
— Kate McKenna (@katemckenna8) March 25, 2019
The decision to drop the permit system has drivers worried that the decision will collapse the market, leaving them holding worthless permits while still indebted to the bank.
Quebec will offer an aid package of roughly $500 million to compensate drivers for their loss, but many drivers say that is not enough.
Once adopted, Bill 17 would require all drivers to meet the same obligations. These include a standard class 5 licence (as opposed to the current 4C required for taxi drivers), a training course and a criminal background check.
The bill would also allow taxi drivers to move way from the current fixed-rate system and vary pricing depending on demand, as Uber does.
In November, B.C. introduced long-awaited legislation that could allow companies such as Uber and Lyft to enter the B.C. market by late 2019.
With files from the Canadian Press.