Tax on winter cyclists | Marchand rejects the idea of ​​penalizing users of “low carbon” roads.

Last week, the unelected leader of the Équipe Priorité Québec proposed a $30 tax on winter cyclists, an equivalent, albeit voluntary, amount for those who use their bikes in the summer.

Patrick Paquet said this would be a fair measure for Quebec motorists who are preparing to experience an increase in the registration tax. The money thus raised will be used, according to Mr. Paquet, to renew public transportation as well as pay for snow removal from bicycle paths in the winter.

The mayor of Quebec ignored the proposal of the leader of the second opposition.

“This debate seeks to pit us against each other, saying, ‘Oh, bad cyclists.’ There are no bad car drivers, bad cyclists, and bad pedestrians. There is a city that will provide people with ways to get around and the city will choose Occasion”.

Mayor Marchand noted that for every kilometer traveled, a cyclist costs the city 25 times less. “I'm not saying 'shame on you' to motorists at all. I'm just saying it's easy to blame others…”

In a question directed to the mayor on Wednesday, a journalist pointed out that removing snow from bicycle paths represents 6% of the total snow removal budget, “and the contribution of cyclists is zero or almost nothing.”

The premise of this question clearly fascinated the mayor, who asked the reporter how motorists pay for snow removal. Obviously through property taxes.

“And cyclists don't pay their municipal taxes? Mayor Marchand asked. It's interesting because I looked at all the city regulations and I don't remember seeing that cyclists are exempt from paying municipal taxes. Perhaps Mr. Patrick Paquet saw a line that I didn't see.”

“It is absurd that my point of view is that the car driver, cyclist and pedestrian pay municipal taxes. If he is a renter, then with the money he sends it to the owner who pays his taxes, and if he is a landlord from his property taxes.”