QUEBEC — Transport Minister Jacques Daoust has tabled Bill 100, an Act to amend various legislative provisions respecting mainly transportation services by taxi.
The bill maintains the principle of a single legal regime for such services, including the ride-sharing service Uber, meaning Uber will have to comply with the provincial law.
It forces Uber drivers to buy or rent taxi permits, something the company has always refused to do. Uber has even threatened to leave Quebec if Daoust included it inside the law aimed at traditional taxi drivers.
Drivers also have new obligations: they must provide riders with means allowing them to evaluate the quality of the services, and adhere to standards of conduct and ethics.
The bill grants public inspectors new inspection and inquiry powers — new penal and administrative penalties for non-compliance with the Act include suspending drivers’ licences and seizing the car the person is driving.
Bill 100 also contains safety measures for cyclists. The Highway Safety Code is amended to increase fines for dooring, and the minimum distance that a motor vehicle must keep when passing a bicycle is specified.
It is expected to come into effect this summer.
More to come.
