Displeased by the Quebec government’s recent deal with Uber, hundreds of taxi drivers turned up at the Port of Montreal on Saturday to protest.
The drivers refused to pick up fares, including the more than 1,000 tourists who arrived at the port via a cruise ship that originated in Boston.
While port officials ordered buses to collect the visitors, the taxi drivers are vowing this won’t be the last protest against the deal.
“It’s a small demonstration,” said driver Mouheine El Meliani. “It’s coming and it will come all month, all year. We’re almost dead with our taxis.”
Under the deal, which was reached on Wednesday night, Uber will engage in a one-year long pilot project that grants it the equivalent of 300 taxi permits. Montreal taxi drivers, meanwhile, can pay in excess of $100,000 for their permits.
The taxi app company will also need to collect and pay taxes, and has a 50,000 hour per week cap for fares, above which it must pay penalties.
In a statement released after the deal was finalized, the company said “We want to demonstrate that we’re ready to work in a regulated industry and be a partner in innovation.”
Many of the taxi drivers, however, feel they have been betrayed by the government.
“We already have one foot in bankruptcy,” said El Meliani. “We have nothing to lose.”
Members of Montreal’s taxi driver association will meet on Sunday to discuss further steps, and they said they have not ruled out a strike or legal action.
While a strike would seem like good business for Uber, it would leave some of Montreal’s population underserved, such as those who rely on adapted transport.
“If you’ve ever tried getting to the Montreal General in a wheelchair, it’s not the easiest thing to do,” said disability rights activist Chris Kennedy. “People with disabilities rely on that service to take them from door to door to get their medical appointments.”
