It looks like Uber won’t be leaving Quebec after all. At least, not yet anyway.
Under the conditions of Uber’s pilot project renewal, previous transport minister Lessard said that Uber drivers would need to take part in 35 hours of mandatory training, as well as undergo a police background check.
As a result of the government’s new rules, Uber Quebec’s general director Jean-Nicolas Guillemette said in a September 26th, 2017 media conference that the company would cease operations as of October 14th, 2017.
Guillemette said that the government didn’t consult with the company before making the announcement and he also argued that the mandatory training would discourage Quebecers from signing up to drive with Uber.
The company said that it will not cease operations on October 14.
According to CBC News, the company has now announced that it will not cease operations on October 14th, 2017, saying that it is interested in engaging in a “constructive dialogue” with Quebec’s new transport minister Andre Fortin.
The company also said that it received information that the 35 hours of mandatory training “will not be enforced for a few months after the rules come into effect,” according to CBC News.
Fortin took over the post from Laurent Lessard on October 11th, 2017 in a Quebec cabinet shuffle.
In an interview with CBC Montreal‘s Daybreak, Quebec’s transport minister Andre Fortin clarified that the government will remain firm on the guidelines it established on September 22nd.
“My job is to put a regulatory framework in place,” said Fortin, in the interview with CBC Montreal. “Whether a specific private company decides to operate within it, it’s not for me to be for or against that.”
MobileSyrup has reached out to Uber for comment and will update this story with a response.