A hotel owner is struggling to get her young people back to work because they can’t get their driver’s license from the Société de l’assurance automobile du Quebec (SAAQ).
“It’s a severe headache,” Geneviève Milot, owner of Quality Suites Drummondville and Quality Inn & Suites in Lévis, told the Journal.
Last week, Le Journal reported that truckers feared being unable to go to work in the US due to lack of papers.
However, other collateral damage caused by the current crisis at SAAQ is also pointed out in the hotel industry.
Concrete Impact
Geneviève Milot, owner of two hotels that are among the country’s best quality brand, says she is suffering from the impact of the brothel in the SAAQ.
Of her 60 employees, the entrepreneur has around 15 young people who are in their first professional years.
However, many are currently struggling to find an appointment for the driving test in order to obtain the famous driver’s license.
“I have five young people who try in every way they can to go to SAAQs in other regions to get an appointment for their exam, but they still can’t,” regrets Geneviève Milot.
At the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie du Cœur-du-Québec (CCICQ), its vice-president Philippe Dumas takes note of SAAQ’s efforts, but recognizes that other measures may be needed if the crisis drags on.
“The 90 days [jours de plus pour renouveler son permis] was a necessary action. If it doesn’t resolve, we’ll have to keep adapting,” he shares.
parents pay
For Geneviève Milot, however, the problem remains, and the parents of her young employees are bearing the brunt.
“Parents are made to play on their own schedule to be able to push them back,” she continues.
In recent days, the phenomenon is so big that employees have directly asked for changes to their schedule to get to work.
“People ask about changes in their schedule because they don’t have anyone to drive them,” she concludes.
The SAAQ defends itself
Reached by Le Journal yesterday, the SAAQ defended itself by saying the situation had nothing to do with the current computer problems.
“Every year there are times when there are more requests, so the timetables fill up faster. It may vary from region to region,” concluded the SAAQ spokesperson. Gino Desrosiers.
– With the collaboration of Valérie Lesage
According to the Association Hôtellerie du Québec, no fewer than 40,000 people work in Québec’s hotel sector.
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