Uber to cease operations in Quebec over new rules
MONTREAL (AP) – Uber said Tuesday it will cease operations in Quebec next month if the province doesn’t rescind new rules it introduced last week.
Quebec Uber boss Jean-Nicolas Guillemette said it will stop operating on Oct. 14 if the government doesn’t back down.
Transport Minister Laurent Lessard said Friday the province would allow Uber to continue to operate if Uber drivers get background checks that are performed by police instead of private security firms. Uber drivers will also be required to undergo the same number of training hours as traditional taxi drivers, which is 35 hours, instead of 20 hours.
Guillemette said the province didn’t consult with the company before introducing the new rules. He said it makes it impossible for the service to continue in Quebec.
The announcement did not go over well in Quebec.
“I don’t care,” Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre told BNN news channels. “Frankly we need to have some regulation and if they threaten to leave I don’t care.”