Uber Could Be Gone From Quebec as Early as This Summer

Just one day after Toronto officially legalized Uber, the City of Montreal has proposed legislation that will essentially force the ride-sharing service to shut down.

If the law comes in to effect, Uber will be required to treat its drivers the same way taxis do. This means paying for permits and having a limited number of vehicles on the road – something it seems unwilling to do.

“It will shut down Uber in Quebec, so we will have half a million people who will look for another way to move around town,” Jean-Nicolas Guillemette, general manager of Uber Quebec, said in an interview with CBC.

The legislation will be formally presented in the Quebec National Assembly next week, and implemented as early as this summer if passed.

A reasonable solution, of course, would be for Uber to comply with the regulations as it said it would in Edmonton earlier this year. Though since that would cut into profits – like the company’s recent announcement to consider killing surge pricing – Uber will probably spin the issue to blame someone else.

Ah, yes – “[Transport] Minister Daoust is living in the past. He’s decided to protect the status quo and to protect the taxi monopoly,” said Guillemette of the decision.

As for Daoust, he’s not outright against Uber in Quebec: “If they want to respect the laws, if they want to pay taxes then they are most welcome,” he said last month.

Your move, Uber.

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