Éric Duhaime says his free transit plan would cost $80 million, a significant cost savings over the tramway, and be extended to Montreal.
Montrealers could get free public transit if a proposed pilot project in Quebec City bears fruit, Conservative Party of Quebec Leader Éric Duhaime said.
Duhaime outlined his plan to cancel the proposed $4-billion tramway project. In its place, he says he would offer free bus service to all Quebec City residents.
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Campaigning at a bus terminus in the Jean-Lesage riding that would be replaced by the tramway, Duhaime said if the project goes well in Quebec City, there’s no reason free transit couldn’t also be offered to Montrealers.
“If we see there is a huge increase in terms of the people who use the bus, then yes we can think about bringing it elsewhere, and maybe that’s the future,” Duhaime said. “I had that discussion with Mayor Valérie Plante when I met her at city hall a few days ago. She said that my pilot project should be in Montreal. She said it would be much better in Montreal than Quebec City.”
Duhaime said a tramway would leave long-lasting scars on the Quebec City region.
“A lot of people think the tramway is for the environment, but cutting hundreds of trees, putting concrete everywhere, cutting down wooded areas for garages, is not very environmental. It will create heat islands, and replacing trees with electric wires isn’t nice and it isn’t environmentally sound.”
He said his party’s plan to offer free transit to residents of the capital region would cost $80 million, a significant cost savings over the tramway.
“The tramway adds nothing to the existing offer,” said Jean-Lesage candidate Denis Peter, standing alongside Duhaime. “It will be slower (than the bus) and more expensive. It will cut off 150 intersections and make transportation by car or by bike more difficult, so it will prevent people from taking other forms of transportation.
“And it will cost $4 billion, and we think that in the current context, governments should be thinking of tightening their belts rather than spending.”
Duhaime said free transit can be established much faster than the seven-year timeline to build the tramway. He added that transit agencies have seen a marked decrease in ridership and they need a way to encourage people to leave their cars at home.
“Right now, we have to make up for the lost ridership,” Duhaime said. “After that, there could be ways to improve the service.”
jmagder@postmedia.com
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