After giving “everything he could,” Bruno Marchand said in the tram file that he had “reached the limit of his abilities.” According to him, “the ball is now in the government’s court” and in particular Prime Minister Legault.
• Also read: Marchand reiterates that the federal government “signs off” on its Plan B for the tram.
“The CAQ must decide. It’s up to them to decide. They are willing to have this open and honest discussion. I don’t feel like I’m being invited to a dinner for idiots,” Quebec’s mayor said in an impromptu press release late Tuesday morning.
A crucial summit with Prime Minister Legault for the future of the megaproject will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, Mr Marchand confirmed.
One thing is certain, the Quebec government must finance 51% of the tram and the municipality cannot carry out the project without support from the province, he reiterated.
Credible Plan B
On the other hand, the mayor of Quebec reiterated that Plan B, which he presented last week and which would make the city the project manager, is credible. He revealed that the new $8.4 billion budget includes 26% risk provisioning, or about $2.2 billion.
Mayor Marchand also added that the independent body hired by the city to calculate the cost of this Plan B is “less than $8.4 billion.”
If the $8.4 billion project is implemented, the city’s share allocated would be about $800 million. The mayor didn’t seem worried about the bill doubling, explaining that the payment would definitely be made over several years. The fee and increase in property values along the streetcar route would allow the community to absorb that increase, he argued.
The mayor reiterated his refusal to hold a referendum on the tram, reiterating that part of the population of Quebec wants this project because they need this means of transport. However, he acknowledged that “it is difficult to explain the benefits of the tram to citizens” who would not directly benefit from it.