The far-reaching mandate that the Legault government has given to the Caisse de dépôt Infra must not be used as a “pretext” to drag out time and “deliberately destroy the tram project,” according to Mayor Bruno Marchand, within wants answers and decisions within six months.
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Getting involved in the study of river link and tram projects, as the Legault government is doing through consultation with the Caisse de dépôt etplacement du Québec (CDPQ) Infra, carries a “risk”, agrees the mayor of Quebec, since the former is a lot means less advanced than the second. The danger is that the tram will suffer a significant delay, which could be the final blow, he says.
“Is there a risk? Perhaps. The answer is that this risk cannot occur. It is not possible. If we do that, we will have intentionally stalled the project. I say yes. We will wait and see what happens next,” he said at a news conference on Monday.
“If he needs more time to assess this question of language proficiency, [le gouvernement] As he completes the work, he adds more steps that save him time. But he cannot delay the Quebec project under the pretext that his mandate is too broad and it will take more time,” he advised.
He states that he thinks the idea of a regional vision is “good” but that it should not be done to the detriment of the citizens of Quebec.
Six months, no more
The Quebec government’s mandate letter to CDPQ Infra states that it must submit its conclusions “within six months of the submission of the available studies.” Mayor Marchand emphasized: The tram studies have been available on the project website for several months. They will be sent to CDPQ Infra on Monday. He asks that the decision be announced very quickly after May 20, 2024.
At this point he expects us to move forward with a project and not start a new round of studies.
Mr Marchand confirmed that he would like to participate in the analysis of Caisse Infra. “We will work with CDPQ Infra, but not at any price and not for any project.” He also recalled that the government withdrew CDPQ Infra’s REM de l’Est project because of the insertion of a light rail system into a built environment raises problems. “We’re facing the same wall,” he said, if the same solution were proposed in Quebec.
More details to follow…
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