Taxi drivers protest to force government to act against Uber

CTVnews.ca
Feb. 10, 2016

View video link: http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=805264

Taxi drivers in Montreal plan to block areas that may include the airport, hotels, and metro stations on Wednesday to force the provincial government to take action against Uber.

Drivers will be announcing the exact locations Wednesday morning, but drivers gathered outside Place Versailles at 6:30 a.m. and Place Cote-Vertu at 7 a.m. then are expected to move to Trudeau airport and other locations.

For anyone planning to use taxis Wednesday, note that fewer drivers will be taking passengers. Adapted transport will not be disrupted and there are no plans to block access to bridges or hospitals, but police say they are ready to step in if necessary.

Drivers say they are fed up with the government demanding taxi drivers pay for permits and insurance in order to work, and yet turning a blind eye when Uber drivers operate without those costly requirements.

One week ago the Steelworkers Union, which represents about 4,000 taxi drivers in Montreal, filed for an injunction to stop Uber from operating in Quebec.

Transportation Minister Jacques Daoust said last week that the government would take action within the next few weeks to deal with the car service, and he met with taxi drivers on Monday to hear their grievances.

The union asked him to publicly demand that UberX cease its operations during parliamentary hearings.

Daoust said on Tuesday he would refuse to do that, and so the union replied by saying it has no choice but to take “drastic measures” to be heard.

On Tuesday, taxi drivers in Quebec City staged a noisy protest, honking their horns and circling the National Assembly on the first day of the winter session.

Taxi drivers say in the short time Uber has been operating in Montreal and the suburbs they have found it harder to find work.

Many customers have no idea that the government sets the price for taxi fares.

Francius St. Avois has been driving a taxi for 26 years, and said he's seen a steep drop in passengers in the past year.

"We see Uber. We see Uber drivers stop, and pick up clients, and go," said St. Avois.

On Tuesday, he picked up just three clients during four hours of work.

"We have to pay so much, and what do get for it? We have to spend $1,000 for a licence plate good until March 31. We have so many things we have to pay, and Uber doesn't," said St. Avois.

Studies show that many UberX drivers are earning about $5 an hour or less after they account for fuel and wear and tear on their car.