The Parti Québécois intends to offer unlimited access to public transit at a price equivalent to $1 per day for both urban and inter-city transportation.

PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon was in Longueuil Monday morning to present a commitment to make public transit extremely attractive.

"We are introducing the ClimatePass, which will give Quebecers in all regions unlimited access to all public transit, whether municipal, regional or inter-regional, for $365 a year, the equivalent of $1 a day," he said.

The PQ's 'ClimatePass' proposal would involve the purchase of an annual pass for $365 - not a one-time pass for $1 - that would give unlimited access to all modes of transportation. This would give pass holders access not only to local and metropolitan transportation such as bus, metro and commuter rail, but also to inter-regional and inter-city transportation, including buses and ferries, all for $1 per day.

"It's a measure that aims to make public transit irresistible," said PQ candidate Jeanne Robin of the  Taschereau riding.

"It is a proposal that is forward-thinking, that has a long-term vision for Quebec (...) and that provides a concrete tool for everyone to do their part against climate change, no matter where they live," she said.

Also there was Marie-Victorin candidate Pierre Nantel, who didn't hesitate to denounce the current mode of pricing.

"Here, in Longueuil, I can tell you that we are fed up with the changes in pricing, because there are tens of thousands of people who live near the Longueuil metro and who, a few years ago, saw their rates to access the Montreal metro increase significantly," he said.

To make a simple return trip from Longueuil to Montreal without a pass represents a payout of $10.50, he said, while the pass costs $150 per month. On an annual basis, this $1800 would drop to $365 with the PQ proposal.

On an inter-city scale, for example, a round trip between Rouyn-Noranda and Montreal by bus costs $236. A user would benefit as of the second trip.

The measure provides for compensation to the transportation networks and private companies, a amount the PQ leader estimates at $150 to $180 million per year, an estimate that appears to be significantly underestimated.

St-Pierre Plamondon also maintains that the increase in public transit ridership would save the Transport Ministry significant sums in road repairs since it would reduce the number of cars on the road. However, there is a caveat to this claim: road deterioration is primarily due to trucks, as studies have shown that the impact of a single 30-tonne, five-axle truck on the road infrastructure is equivalent to that of 10,000 cars.

St-Pierre Plamondon promised other announcements during the campaign on the expansion of public transit.

The PQ announcement is part of an election campaign that is already well underway, although not officially. The Parti Québécois leader also insisted on the positive impact of the proposal, even using on more than one occasion an expression dear to Premier François Legault, namely that the PasseClimat would "put money in Quebecers' pockets."

The PQ leader seemed to be comfortable with his pre-election campaigning.

"We are a party of ideas, which fully assumes the challenges of our time with complete answers, so to have the space to bring content like today. This is not a bad thing," he said.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 22, 2022