Taylor Clark

LJI Reporter

Independent mayoral candidate Olive Kamanyana would like to see integration of the City of Gatineau and the Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO), like what is already done in Ottawa, to meet the challenge of sustainable mobility.

“I am here to propose other ways of doing things that are very important because it is not only the citizens of Gatineau who must reach into their pockets,” Kamanyana told journalists during a press conference on May 16. “The Ville de Gatineau and the (Société de transport de l’Outaouais) must once again be rethinking expenses and, above all, optimizing expenses.”

The STO’s and especially the City’s role in investing in the transportation system have been hot topics lately as the municipal council recently adopted a new vehicle registration tax which was deemed rushed by the former Carrefour-de-l’Hôpital district councillor.

“For the Government of Quebec, it is important that mobility be effective, efficient and, above all, equitable. When it comes to mobility in Gatineau, we are still looking for a way to find a balance between mobility expenses and income,” Kamanyana said in reference to the Sustainable Mobility Policy.

If elected, Kamanyana committed to asking the administration to undertake a concrete examination of the convergence of the City’s administrative services and the STO under the leadership of a newly created mobility service.

“Above all, this examination will involve the collaboration of the administration, the City and the (Société de transport de l’Outaouais) in compliance with legal and normative aspects.”

The concept was not new, admitted Kamanyana. Two committees, first in 2018 and subsequently in 2022, recommended the integration of the STO’ service within the City de Gatineau.

“The operating costs of the (Société de transport de l’Outaouais) include, among other services, … finance services, human resource services, procurement services, information management and technology services. And the same thing is found on the city side.”

In the 2024 budget, Gatineau set aside $82,115,000 for public transportation, making up around 80 per cent of the STO’s revenues. The City’s contribution has continued to increase by nearly 38 per cent over 10 years, serving to balance the transportation system’s budget, said Kamanyana.

“The (Société de transport de l’Outaouais) and the city administration must find a way to look in the mirror and say, where can we cut the fat, what can we keep and what synergy can we create?”

Photo caption: Independent candidate Olive Kamanyana proposes to combine Gatineau and the STO into one budget line to optimize expenses and limit the consumption of resources.

Photo credit: Taylor Clark