Taxi drivers from across the province held a demonstration Monday morning at the site of the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix on Ile Notre-Dame in Montreal.
They rallied on Ile Notre Dame at 9:30 a.m. and protested on the Concorde bridge until 11 a.m. under police supervision, allowing drivers to travel unimpeded.
One of the drivers, Christos Michailidis, said the government must enforce a level playing field for all.
"You have to have a permit to drive the taxi here in Montreal. And now we're working ten years to pay off our taxi, another 25 years to recover, so it's hard for us here now," he said.
The Steelworkers’ Union, which represents the 4000 members of Montreal’s taxi industry, wants to put pressure on the Quebec government to put Bill 100 into legislation before the end of the National Assembly session.
Benoit Jugand, who represents the Steelworkers Union, said he believes the taxi industry has been patient enough in dealing with legislation surrounding Uber.
He is concerned, however, that Francois Legault is trying to stall the bill so it won't be passed by Friday, the final day of the winter session of the National Assembly.
"We know that the Coalition Avenir Quebec and Francois Legault is doing everything possible so the bill will not pass," said Jugand.
He said that if the bill isn't approved by Friday, taxi drivers will protest all summer long.
"We hope that it is not postponed, but if it is we're going to be there protesting all summer long just to make sure the government doesn't forget us," said Jugand.
Jugand said Legault is reaching out to young Liberals who have openly denounced the Liberals' position on Uber's ride-hailing service, calling it a "lack of vision."
He also said that it should be up to Uber to adapt to existing law, and not the other way around.
"We don't have to change our laws just because a company comes here and does some fiscal evasion," said Jugand.
