Montreal’s taxi coalition has suspended its pressure tactics after a shocking incident on live TV Friday morning.
“Following a dramatic incident live on LCN, the taxi industry is completely stopping its pressure tactics until further notice,” spokesperson Felix Tremblay said in a written statement.
“The objective of this decision is to protect owners and taxi drivers who are experiencing psychological distress,” he added.
During a live, in-studio interview with LCN, a taxi driver – after criticizing Premier Francois Legault – took out a sharp object and cut himself.
“Mr. Legault – he has no heart,” the man says. “And he took my heart.”
Out of frame, he takes out a weapon, and quickly draws it across his arm before standing up and holding his wrist at camera level.
While the anchor seems unaware of the man’s actions, a studio technician rushes into frame to cover the wound.
The man is in stable condition and his life is not in danger.
‘They're afraid for their future’: spokesperson
Other taxi drivers were quick to react to the news.
"I invite all my colleagues who are in mental distress, or friends and family who witness distress, to seek out help," Abdallah Homsy said. "This is normal that you lose sleep, normal that you feel anxiety - we're all in this fight together."
"We have to be so understanding, and we have to encourage people to talk about their distress, and remind everybody that there is help everywhere all the time," explained Lynda Poirier, from the Quebec Suicide Prevention Centre.
On Friday, taxi drivers across Quebec were expected to renew their pressure tactics by offering free rides as part of “dumping day.” This way, the taxi coalition explained, the provincial government would not receive any profit from their services.
Taxi drivers are at loggerheads with the government over its bill to deregulate the taxi industry, putting conventional taxi drivers on an even playing field with drivers from ride-sharing apps like Uber.
The government would, as a result, do away with the current permit system and rendering the $200,000 permits effectively worthless.
The government has set aside $500 million to compensation for the losses, but many drivers say that’s not enough for them.
“Now the government is telling us, ‘Okay, forget it.’ Thirty years of your work, forget it. Just scrap it. We scrap it. It's not worth anything,” said Edgard El-Kalaani of Hypra Taxi.
El-Kalaani bought his taxi permit for $52,000 almost 30 years ago and has used that value as collateral for loans to update his cars, and has accumulated debt.
“Today if the government says this bylaw has to pass, I will put my house up for sale. And I could go easily bankruptcy,” he said, adding that many in the taxi industry are not taking the news well.
“They see that their life is cancelled – all what they did in their life, all what they built in their life. With a scratch of pen, the government is saying forget it,” he said.
George Boussios, President of Taxi Champlain and spokesperson for Taxi Grand Montreal, said he’s seeing the pain, too.
“They're at the end of the rope. They're frustrated. They're afraid they're afraid for their families. They're afraid for their future,” he said.
Transport Minister Francois Bonnardel said discussions will continue to take place.
