A Party Is Proposing A $5 Fee For Anyone Driving To Montreal Island Who Doesn't Live There

Some commuters should pay up to help line local public coffers, according to Bloc Montréal. The fledgling party founded by former mayoral candidate Balarama Holness ahead of the 2022 Quebec election is proposing a charge for non-resident vehicles coming to Montreal Island.

In a Facebook post, the party says a $5 "congestion fee" could mean an additional $500,000,000 in revenue for the city. It also says the measure would help Montreal reach carbon neutrality by 2040.

As of the 2016 census, as many as 1,251,230 people in the Montreal metro area commuted by driving (including on-island, to-island and off-island commutes). An additional 61,325 people commuted as vehicle passengers.

"Increasing additional funds for the city of Montreal would finance free rush-hour public transit between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.," Bloc Montréal said Monday.

Holness founded Bloc Montréal to address what the party says online was a lack of parties who "represent the interests of Montreal and Montrealers in the National Assembly."

The party points to Bill 21, which bans many public servants from wearing religious symbols while performing their duties, and Bill 96, a reform of the Charter of the French Language, as examples of legislation that it says "[affects] Montreal and Montrealers disproportionately and negatively."

Among Bloc Montréal's other ideas is a demand that 20% of local sales tax revenue goes to the city and region and an immigration policy that prioritizes economic needs regardless of language.

Bloc Montréal isn't the only party with a daring transportation plan. The Parti Québécois is calling for a $1/day (or $365/year) pass that grants access to all modes of transit in all cities and regions in the province. Such a pass would mean someone in Montreal, for example, could ride systems in Gatineau and Quebec City at no additional cost.