Uber is on the way to supplanting the taxi industry in Quebec

After 11 years of presence in Quebec, Uber now accounts for nearly two-thirds of the vehicles transporting people on the province’s roads, ahead of the taxi industry.

According to data collected in 2023 by the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), the American multinational comes in first place with 12,351 vehicles registered, which represents 64% of the total, compared to 7,062 taxis.

Uber dominates in five regions: Montreal, Laval, Lanaudière, Montérégie and Outaouais.

In the metropolis, 6,516 cars display the Uber logo, while 2,806 taxis ply the streets. The company therefore has 70% of vehicles transporting people there.

In Montreal, the taxi industry has not only been overtaken by Uber, but its size has also declined: 2,000 cars and 3,000 drivers have disappeared from the city’s streets over the last decade.

Uber, he’s going to take everything

After 29 years behind the wheel of his taxi, Ali Chabbi says the arrival of Uber has hurt drivers in his industry. If his job allowed him to earn a living in the past, the last few years have been more difficult.

Uber ate perhaps between 60% and 70% of the taxi market.

Before, we could work on shift by day, we made our money, or the shift evening, now no. You have to work a lot more hours and maybe, just maybe, you can get byhe continues.

Currently, 40% of Quebec taxi drivers also offer their services through Uber, according to the SAAQ.

Uber will take everything. The proof is that there are taxis that do both, even all three: Uber, Uber Eats and the taxisaid Ali Chabbi.

Uber wants to take more space

Landing in Montreal in 2013, the American multinational first carried out its activities illegally, then as part of a pilot project.

Quebec then abolished taxi permits and changed the law in 2020 to allow Uber and similar companies to offer their services.

What we see, from month to month, from year to year, is that there is growth in the number of drivers and that there is growth in the number of Montrealers and Quebecers who use Uber.indicates the company’s public affairs manager in Quebec, Jonathan Hamel.

The company wants to continue its expansion in the Montreal region and in several other cities in the province such as Quebec, Gatineau, Trois-Rivières, Sherbrooke and Saguenay.

These are places where we are already present, then we want to continue to grow in these markets, because we really think that it offers an additional optionsaid Jonathan Hamel.

A precarious job

Matthieu Visser signed up to become an Uber driver shortly after the company arrived in Quebec. In 10 years, he has 20,000 races to his credit.

He chose this path to have a flexible schedule. While his partner is the main family support, he can be more present at home if necessary.

If I want to do 60 hours in a week, I do 60 hours. If I don’t want to do it, I don’t do it. My primary objective was not to maximize income, but more to find additional incomeexplains Mr. Visser.

A supplementary income: this is how the work of a driver should be considered these days, according to him. No one should take this activity as a job, because it is too precarious, because there is no guaranteed income.

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Many people join Uber to make ends meet, whether by transporting passengers or delivering food.

The company also experienced record registrations when inflation peaked in 2022.

We surveyed these people, and what they told us was that it was really because of the rising cost of living that they turned to the application to earn an income. additionalindicates Jonathan Hamel.

Reviving the taxi industry

While competition from Uber is well established, Taxelco is calling for a series of changes to the 2020 reform to ensure the survival of the taxi industry.

Adjustments must be made in order to satisfy customersindicates the company’s CEO, Frédéric Prégent.

The company, owner of Téo, Taxi Hochelaga and Diamond, particularly wants the maximum age of vehicles used for transporting people to be reduced from 10 to 8 years.

The age of the vehicle has an impact on cleanliness, in the sense that you do not replace the benches in your vehicle, the carpets, while you use it for workhe gives as an example.

At the time we were talking about flashy taxis in which you could feel the suspension when you sat back. Well, it will come back eventually.

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Taxelco is also asking that toponymy be reintroduced as part of the compulsory training to become a taxi driver.

New drivers, when we ask them to go to rue De Boucherville in Montreal, which is in the northeast of the city, well we end up in the town of Boucherville on the South Shore, because the driver thought that he knew where he was goingsays Mr. Prégent.

Finally, the company wants Quebec to carry out better controls to catch illegal taxis, while it is possible to improvise as a driver by purchasing a lantern for a few dozen dollars on the Internet.

We have a certain receptivity, but the Ministry of Transport has other very hot issues at the moment, so the taxi is not a prioritydeplores Frédéric Prégent.