Quebec offers to cover 70% of public transit deficits

Quebec Transport Minister Genevive Guilbaultannounced Friday that the government is ready to absorb 70 per cent of this year'sprojected deficitsof public transit agencies across the province.

The government is now offering $265 million to cities and public transit agencies, she said at a news conference. About $238 million will be going tocities in the greater Montreal area.

She said the numbers were reached afterextensive consultations with transit agencies and municipalities over the summer.

Municipalities had previously askedfor $300 million, saying the money was needed to avoid a reduction in services on bus and Metro lines.

Quebec's initial offer was to cover 20 per cent.

The government is also ordering all 10 regional transit agencies and theRseau de transport mtropolitainto undergo audits to find "long-term structural solutions" to their funding issues. She said theCoalition Avenir Qubec(CAQ) government has invested more in public transit than everbefore.

Guilbault said public transit agencies need to do some soul-searchingand think of ways to optimize spending, citing the salary increase for executives during the pandemic and free rides for seniorsas examples. She said transit agencies are projecting a $2.5-billion deficit in the next five years, which the government cannot afford to cover.

WATCH| Montreal is behind when it comes to paying with your phone for public transit:

Why can't you tap to pay on Montreal public transit? Because bureaucracy.

10 months ago

Duration 2:54

Montreal is behind most major cities when it comes to paying for public transit. For years, the Socit de transport de Montral (STM) has looked into implementing easier payment options, but a series of bureaucratic setbacks has halted the process. The latest development is that you can now reload your Opus card with your phone with the Chrono app.

The government is "sensitive to cities' realities" this year, and public transit is worth investing in, but it can't dish out millions every year, said Guilbault.

"We can't just keep throwing money at this infinitely," she said. "It's a bottomless hole."

On Tuesday, several mayors, including Plante and Laval's Stphane Boyer,called out the province over what they described as "radio silence" at the negotiation table. They said the lack of dialogue was unacceptable considering cities have to finalize their budgets in the coming days.

According to Radio-Canada, the mayors are expected to meet today to discussQuebec's latest offer.