Montreal-area drivers get a shock as car registration bills shoot up by $150

Brian Blumer was taken aback when he opened his Quebec vehicle registration bill this year and saw a charge of $392.

"I thought it was only me — I did an infraction of some sort, and I really didn't know what it was," he said. "Then I was like, 'Wow! That's a lot of money!'"

Blumer, who lives in Côte Saint-Luc, a suburb on the Island of Montreal, is now paying the new tax introduced by the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), which represents over 80 municipalities in the Montreal area. The tax, which went up from $59 to $150, now includes an additional $30 contribution, resulting in a total public transit fee of $180 on affected residents' bills.

"I just don't understand," Blumer said. "Why so much?"

He questioned the necessity of raising the fee all at once, suggesting it could have been done gradually.

When the tax hike was approved in May, Laval Mayor Stéphane Boyer acknowledged it was a tough decision but deemed it necessary to maintain public transport. "We need it to maintain public transport," Boyer said.

Not all local officials agreed with the increase, including Vaudreuil-Dorion Mayor Guy Pilon, who voted against it. Pilon argued that his residents don’t have the same access to public transit as those living in Montreal. "We need cars to do whatever we have to do. For me, it's not fair, in a way, because in Montreal, it's relatively easier to not have any car," Pilon explained.

Municipalities in the Montreal area have been in disputes with the provincial government over public transit funding for several years. Officials stated that transit agencies have yet to recover from a significant decline in ridership during the pandemic, compounded by inflation and a shift in revenue towards the new Réseau express métropolitain (REM) light-rail network. This situation has led to a substantial revenue loss for transit agencies.

In response to a $421 million deficit in the region’s public transit authority, the CMM decided to pass on the cost to drivers, after the provincial government offered only half the requested amount.

The public transit advocacy group, Transit Alliance, supported the tax increase. Spokesperson Francis Garnier argued that even those not using public transport benefit from fewer cars on the road, reducing congestion.

The tax, however, is not set in stone. The CMM has stated it will consider lowering or eliminating the fee if the province provides more funding for transit. On the other hand, the tax could also increase. The current $150 fee is now considered the minimum, and it may rise along with other costs.

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante also acknowledged the difficulty of the decision but emphasized the need for the increase due to a lack of provincial support. "We're acting pragmatically. We need to think outside the box," Plante said.

The tax, first introduced in 2019 by the CMM, came into effect in 2021, with only Boucherville Mayor Jean Martel opposing the increase. At the time, suburban drivers were informed they would pay an additional $50 per year. Previously, former Laval Mayor Marc Demers stated that the fee amounted to roughly $1 per week. Now, however, drivers are paying around $3.46 per week.