Even though he considers Uber to be illegal and they have not ceased operations as asked, Transport Minister Jacques Daoust said he is willing to continue discussions on the contents of Bill 100, introduced to regulate Uber.
He warns, however, that the margin to manoeuvre is slim because many options have already been studied.
According to Daoust, Uber drivers have to conform to the same rules as taxi drivers — they must have a valid taxi permit and pay taxes.
Uber, which at first threatened to leave Quebec because the rules would not allow its business model to succeed, has since adopted a more conciliatory tone.
On Monday, the company said it was willing to participate in the consultations on Bill 100 in the hopes of finding a compromise.
Asked about his willingness to negotiate and accept propositions from a company considered illegal, Daoust said there may be a way to make Uber legal.
But he confirmed what was said during the weekend: He wasn’t going back to the drawing board to rewrite Bill 100.
When asked if he plans to require Uber to cease all activities until the new law comes into force, Daoust said he already asked Uber to do that, but wouldn’t elaborate.
