Taxi monopoly over: Quebec City, Montreal airports allow Uber

Air travellers can now request an Uber from the Montreal and Quebec City airports.

The ride-hailing service Uber has signed deals with Quebec's two busiest airports to allow its drivers to take passengers to and from their terminals.

Trudeau International Airport in Montreal and Jean Lesage International Airport in Quebec City will both allow Uber drivers to operate on their grounds.

"We are pleased to announce today that Quebecers and travellers will now be able to rely on Uber's services as soon as they land at the Quebec City and Montreal airports," Uber Canada said in a statement released Monday.

The Uber app was previously blocked at the airports because Uber was not regulated by the provincial government. A pilot project launched this fall has now provided a temporary legal framework for the service.

Uber said the timing of its airports deal is perfect, given that Montreal's 375th anniversary is coming up in 2017.

"While Quebec City has recently been named the 'Best Destination in Canada', Montreal is preparing to celebrate its 375th anniversary, and many travellers and tourists will stay in Quebec," the statement said. 

"Our priority remains to continue to offer quality, fast and affordable service so that the Quebec experience is always the best."

According to Uber Canada, this latest deal means that its ride-hailing service is now available at more than 400 airports worldwide.

Taxi industry irate

Fares to and from the airport represent a lucrative source of income for taxi drivers. They criticized the deal with Uber on Monday.  

In a statement, Le Front commun du taxi, which represents three large taxi-industry groups, said it's not fair for Uber to step in after its own taxi drivers had to apply for a special permit to work at the airport.

"Le Front commun du taxi strongly denounces the agreement officially reached by the airports of Montreal and Quebec with the multinational Uber, which allows the latter to pick up passengers despite the contracts that these airports have with the taxi industry," the statement said.

In Montreal, licensed taxis had a monopoly on airport rides. Airport taxi permits were highly prized because of the income generated by people going to and from Dorval.

Some 4,200 taxi drivers applied for the 325 permits available in the 2015 lottery draw.

The 325 taxi drivers chosen in the draw also had to pay more than $4,000 annually to work at the airport.

"Driver-owners of taxis and limousines, who are already seeing the value of their permits drop, will [see] the bulk of the bread and butter go to Uber," Le Front commun du taxi said in its statement.

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In its agreement, the Montreal airport made some concessions to licensed taxi drivers, extending their permits until April 30, 2017 and allowing them to pick up passengers in a special area where Uber drivers are not allowed.