By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Montreal motorists have been subsidizing the city’s public transit system with a “public transit contribution” since 1992. The charge is added to the vehicle registration fee which the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) then hands off to the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable.

Last year a new tax was instituted in addition to the $30 public transit contribution. For 2024 the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) set the tax at $59.

This year that tax rose to $150, as of January 1.

The cost comes as a bit of a shock to those who might not be aware of it, even though the hike was voted on by the CMM and announced last May. The CMM at the time said that they were “forced” to raise the tax.

Not all municipal mayors were in favour of it, although most were. Mayor Plante was one of 20 out of 24 mayors who voted for the hike. Bernard Daoust, mayor of Les Cèdres south of Montreal, was against it, as was Vaudreuil-Dorion Mayor Guy Pilon. Those who objected to the tax as unfair said that not all communities have access to public transit. Yet everyone is now required to pay the same $150 tax, regardless.

Those in favour of the tax, including Laval Mayor Stéphane Boyer, point to losses from the pandemic, rising costs, and loss of revenue to the Réseau express métropolitain (REM). Municipalities sought help from the provincial government. It was willing to contribute about half of the $421 million municipalities were asking for. The CMM downloaded the remainder onto motorists.

No fare hikes for transit users were announced for 2025. n