In the contentious fight over whether or not to legalize Uber in Quebec City, a Celine Dion concert may have been the tipping point.
The city’s mayor said he has changed his tune about the ride-hailing app after hundreds of Celine Dion concert-goers -- himself included -- had to wait more than 45 minutes on Saturday night to catch a ride home.
Labeaume had been a vocal defender of the taxi industry earlier in the year amid talks about regulating Uber at Quebec’s National Assembly. But he said his stance has since changed after crowds of Celine Dion fans were left on the street with few options for transportation last weekend.
"I'm extremely disappointed, extremely disappointed,” Labeaume said at a Sunday press conference.
The sold-out concert coincided with other popular weekend events, including a fireworks festival, a beer festival and a football game. Regardless, Labeaume said, cab drivers should have been better prepared.
"The taxi industry must furnish enough vehicles, and if the industry cannot do that, we have a problem. We are not going to reduce the number of events taking place in Quebec City to accommodate the taxi industry.”
But after meeting with transport minister Laurent Lessard on Tuesday, Labeaume clarified that his support for Uber comes with a few important conditions. Namely, Uber would have to be a “good corporate citizen” and pay its provincial taxes, he said.
The meeting comes at a critical moment for Uber in Quebec. The province is expected to release details of a pending pilot project in a few weeks that would allow Uber to operate in the province for a three-month trial.
The terms of the pilot project have yet to be made public, and Lessard insisted Tuesday that any conditions will “respect Quebec laws.”
The deadline for confirming details of the project is Sept. 8.
Meanwhile, Quebec politicians are putting pressure on the transport minister to confirm terms of the looming project.
“We hope that Mr. Lessard will give us some answer (on his) position concerning Uber and the fact that Uber can be able to take place in Quebec with the taxi industry,” said Francois Bonnardel, house leader for the Coalition Avenir Quebec.
A spokesperson for Quebec’s taxi industry said Uber should be held to the same standard as cabs, specifically when it comes to paying for licenses.
“They have to pay for a licence plate like us, they have to pay the same licence that we pay, they have to pay the TPQ,” said industry spokesperson Abdallah Homsy.
With files from CTV Montreal
