Quebec taxi drivers expected to receive compensation to offset Uber competition

Taxi drivers will learn more Friday about Quebec's plan to compensate them fortheir taxi permits' loss of valuecaused largely byride-sharing services such as Uber.

In the 2018provincial budget, nearly $250 million was allocated to the taxi industry, with roughly $44 million dedicated to its modernization. The total allocation works out to approximately $30,000 per Quebec taxi licence.

Once the announcement is made,RevenuQubecwill send a letter to each taxi licence owner, indicating what they will be entitled to.

"$30,000 is a drop in the bucket for what's happened in the last four years when the value of a permit was about $200,000 and now they're selling for about $80,000," said GeorgeBoussios, spokesperson for TaxisduGrand Montral, an association of Montreal taxi companies.

The arrival of ride-sharing services has left many in the taxi industry "in dire straits,"Boussiossaid, as it has affected income and pensions.

"It hasn't been easy," said Boussios, who also serves as president of the Montreal-basedChamplain Taxi company. "It's been very, very difficult."

The government must dole outthat compensation package directly to drivers by Oct. 1, according to AbdallahHomsy,president of theRegroupementdes intermdiaires detaxideQubec(RITQ).

"In ourconditions, it was decided that the amounts should be paid before the elections,"he told Radio-Canada.