Uber welcomes Jacques Daoust, Quebec's new minister of transport

Uber Quebec, the ride-hailing company, was quick to welcome Quebec's newlyappointed minister of transport afterThursday's shuffle in the provincial cabinet.

The company issued a statement,congratulating Liberal MNA Jacques Daoust on his new role while simultaneously praising theCity of Edmonton for legalizing Uber as of March 1.

• UberCanada head says current rules hurt consumers, protect taxi monopoly
• Uberdrops prices in 5 Canadian cities during 'winter slump'
• 400UberXvehicles seized so far this year in Montreal

"We're eager to work collaboratively with him to bring progressive regulatory solutions to the hundreds of thousands of people in Quebec that rely onUberdaily,"said Jean-NicolasGuillemette, the general manager of Uber Quebec.

Uberis currently illegal in Quebec, butDaoust says he needs more time to evaluate the situation before he can comment on it.

"Iwant to look into this by Mondaywith the people , the ministry, staff are supposed to have a meeting," said Daoust.

"I want to have the real priorities and then when I'm informed we'll see what they recommend and what I decide to do."

'It's an illegal transportation'

Cab drivers in Quebec City prevented civil servants from entering Revenue Quebec for 20 minutes to protest the rise of Uber.

Drivers saythe province has failedto crack down on an illegal industry.

"We can't believe that the government would let money slip away like this," saidHichamBerouel, thepresident of an Anti-UberXmovement.

"It's hundreds of millions of dollars that's taken away each day from the taxi industry and from the government."

Drivers have threatened to block major arteries in the province's capital.

Claude Pigeon, a director forQuebec's transport control,says there are 300 peace officers handing out fines and seizing vehicles around the province.

"It's an illegal transportation and the peace officers are still continuing to apply those laws, we'll be there until the activities are stopped," said Pigeon.