Taxi industry calls for province-wide work stoppage Wednesday

A coalition of taxi industry groups is calling for a province-wide work stoppage on Wednesday as part of its ongoing campaign against the Quebec government's deal with ride-hailing service Uber.

The coalitionFront commun des taxis wants to meetwith Premier PhilippeCouillard. It maintains the Uber deal, which allows the service to operate legally for the following year on a pilot-project basis,will devaluetaxi permits.

The permits are necessary to operate a taxi and can cost between $100,000 and $200,000.

• Taxi drivers lose another legal challenge against Uber

"They are sabotaging a regime into which tens of thousands of Quebec families have invested, and which was installed to ensure everyone a decent revenue," the coalition said in a news release on Sunday.

Possible sanctions?

The work stoppage comes after two failed injunction requests by the industry againstUberand the deal with Quebec. The coalition is calling the planned stoppage a "strike," though acknowledged participation will be optional.

Alexandre Taillefer,who owns the largest taxi company in Montreal, has warned his drivers in the past they could be punished if they participate in a work stoppage.

TheUberpilotprojethas itself not yet taken effect. A ministerial order dealing with project was only published Friday, meaning it will be at least another 15 days before it takes effect.

Without the pilot project in effect, the taxi industry claimsUberis operating illegally.

• Taillefer threatens sanctions against taxi drivers