While they welcome the Legault government’s improved offer to fund public transportation, Greater Montreal mayors still believe it is “largely inadequate” to maintain and restart services, leaving them with “painful decisions.”
Published at 9:40 p.m.
In a letter sent to the Quebec premier on Sunday and obtained by La Presse, the executive committee of the Metropolitan Community of Montreal (CMM) requested a meeting with him to resolve the impasse.
Because if the cities declare that they are satisfied with Quebec’s commitment to finance 70% of the deficit of their transport companies in 2024, an element of the improved offer presented last Thursday by Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault, disagreement remains over the calculation of the deficit.
According to the Legault government, the vehicle registration tax (TIV), a measure adopted by the CMM whose revenue will be 122 million in 2024, must be used to make up the deficit, which would then amount to 461.3 million . The offer, which was improved last Thursday from 150 to 238 million, would cover 70% of the remaining amount.
However, cities would prefer that TIV revenue be used for public transport development, which the CMM calls “a question of equity between the different sectors of the Greater Montreal area for the revitalization of public transport, particularly in the northern and southern suburbs.” represents.
“Consequently, income from TIV should not be taken into account in calculating MTMD [ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable] regarding the deficit,” argues the CMM in its letter to the Prime Minister.
“Painful choice”
Therefore, while time is running out and municipalities are finalizing their budgets for next year, the CMM is asking the government to make an additional effort of 128 million compared to its last offer to reach 346 million or 75% of the budget in 2024. The remaining deficit is estimated at 461.3 million.
In recent days, cities in the Montreal area have argued that aid of less than 300 million for 2024 would lead to numerous service cuts in the subway, which would have to close after 11 p.m., as well as the withdrawal of buses from the streets and driver layoffs .
“For 2024, the latest government proposal presented to us could force us to make painful decisions,” affirmed the CMM board in its Sunday letter.
In October, Minister Geneviève Guilbault proposed in her first offer to cover only 20% of the deficits of transport companies in the Montreal area, with aid worth 502.8 million over five years, including 149.5 million in the first year .
With Maxime Bergeron and Henri Ouellette-Vézina, La Presse