The conflict is not over: L'Association des taxis des regions du Quebec (ATRQ) says it is against the bill modifications proposed Monday by the Quebec government to modernize the province's taxi industry.
"It's a betrayal," ATRQ spokesperson Serge Lebreux, adding that he has received a general strike mandate from his members.
Guy Chevrette, the ATRQ's principal adviser, said Tuesday that he was surprised and disappointed at the plans for the future of Quebec's taxi industry that were made public a day earlier by Quebec Transport Minister Francois Bonnardel.
Following intensive discussions, the Association thought it had reached a consensus with the government and had expected to jointly present their plans Monday alongside the minister.
But the plans Bonnardel announced Monday excluded what the taxi industry representatives thought they had agreed to.
While the government is proposing quicker indemnities for holders of taxi permits, it has refused to implement the more generous compensation model preferred by the ATRQ, Chevrette said.
Chevrette said the government's proposed law not only fails to help taxi drivers, but actively harms their futures.
This report by La Presse Canadienne was first published Oct. 8, 2019.
