Public transport: a five-year agreement agreed between the municipalities and the government

A five-year financial framework should allow the Union of Quebec Municipalities (UMQ) and the government to ensure the proper development of public transit in the province.

The Union of Quebec Municipalities (UMQ) welcomed in a press release Monday the announcement made by Quebec Minister of Transport, François Bonnardel, to agree on a five-year financial framework for public transit in Quebec.

“The establishment of a five-year financial framework for public transit is excellent news,” said UMQ President and Gaspé Mayor Daniel Côté. The stability of the financing of operations is necessary to ensure the sustainability of the public transit service.”

According to UMQ estimates, the funding deficit for public transit operations could amount to more than $460 million per year as of 2024.

“The predictability of public transit funding is essential, but we must also focus on the maintenance of existing infrastructure to make public transit a real alternative that is always more attractive to the population,” added Valérie Plante, president of the Caucus des grands cités. of the UMQ and Mayor of Montreal.

Last April, the UMQ’s Big Cities Caucus called for the creation of a discussion table with the Government of Quebec to tackle the structural deficit that has affected public transit organizations in Quebec for several years.