Québec solidaire is calling on the Coalition Avenir Québec government to secure the province’s share of the new Canada Public Transit Fund, which came into effect April 1, to address the deteriorating state of the Montreal Metro system.
Co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal said the government is delaying access to roughly $5 billion in federal funding, adding the money belongs to Quebecers and noting other provinces have already moved forward.
Her comments came hours after service across the metro network was temporarily halted during the Thursday morning rush.
Ghazal said Quebec should invest the federal funds in public transit, particularly the Montreal Metro, and urged Premier Christine Fréchette to act quickly.
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“I am telling the CAQ that Montrealers are not under the other citizens of Quebec,” said Ghazal.
In a statement to Global News, the provincial government said discussions with Ottawa are progressing well and there is no indication the funding will not be forthcoming.
Ghazal also echoed concerns raised by Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada, saying Montrealers should receive their fair share of investment.
According to the Société de transport de Montréal, 35 metro stations currently require repairs, including five considered urgent: De L’Église, Peel, Champ-de-Mars, Fabre and Saint-Michel.
Meanwhile, Transit Alliance coordinator Francis Garnier said more than 800,000 commuters rely on the metro daily and warned that without new funding, service disruptions could worsen and stations could face closure.
“If the Montreal Metro is not running well, Montreal isn’t running well overall,” said Garnier.
He added that while funding for Quebec roads has increased, investment in public transit has stagnated since 2013, contributing to the system’s decline.
“It wouldn’t have been in a state of disrepair if we were careful and if we had done the proper maintaining,” added Garnier.
The STM says it needs $600 million annually over 10 years to maintain existing infrastructure and service levels. Québec solidaire says those costs should not be passed on to taxpayers.
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