'Angry' taxi drivers block Montreal streets over Uber deal

Honking their horns and crawling through city streets, at least 100 taxi drivers staged aprotest in Montreal most of the day Wednesday,in a bid to show just how madthey are aboutthe Quebec government's recent deal with Uber.

BenoitJugand, spokesmanfor theFront commun des taxis, a coalition of taxi industry groups,saidtaxi drivers are being treated unfairly.

"People are shocked. They're angry," he said.

• Quebec's Uber pilot project pushed back until mid-October
• Uberispaying its drivers to flout Quebec law

Earlier today,travelling at about 20 km/h, the vehicles made their way ontoHighway 40 to the Dcarieexpresswaythen exited onto theVille-Marie highwayto getdowntown.

Arriving at around noon, the drivers blocked several streets, creating gridlock in some areas of downtownon their way to a rally atDorchesterSquare.

The affected Montreal streets reopened to traffic around 4 p.m.

CBC reporter Jaela Bernstien describes the earlier traffic chaos in downtown Montreal:

As part of theUberdeal, reached about a month ago, thegovernmentwillintroduce a pilot project allowingthe ride-hailing companyto operate in the province for a year. The projecthas not yet begun.

• Uberispaying its drivers to flout Quebec law

The protesters saidthe deal will devaluetaxi permits, for which some drivers paid between $100,000 and $200,000.

Jugandsaid drivers aren'tagainst thepilot project, they'reagainst what they say is thetwo-tiered system the projectwill create.

Uber drivers won't need to buy the sametaxi permits in order to operate.

For that reason, taxi drivers have sent a letter to the premier asking, among other things,for the government to buy back their permits at their 2014 value.

Transport Minister Laurent Lessard said Wednesdaythe province is studying the proposal.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderresaid he hopes Lessard will agree to do just that.

"A taxi permit that costs $170,000 that's somebody's pension and now you're telling them it's worthless," he said.

The protest cameafter twofailed injunction requestsby the group againstUberand the deal with Quebec.

The coalition calledthe planned stoppage a "strike" but acknowledged participation was optional.

• Uber reaches agreement to stay in Quebec