Little new money for public transit and increased rates for new tires | Quebec Budget 2023
The environmental fee on each new tire will increase to $4.50 for cars and $6 for trucks in July 2023.
Thanks to the additional revenue collected through the carbon market, the Legault government will devote $2.4 billion in its next budget to the fight against climate change and the protection of biodiversity and water.
< p class="e-p">One billion dollars over five years will initially be allocated to the protection of water resources and the safety of dams ($520 million), the protection of biodiversity ($475 million) and, finally, the promotion of better agri-environmental practices (23 million).
Finance Minister Eric Girard also plans to get $64.6 million back into the pockets of motorists over five years by increasing environmental fees on new tires.
As of Next July, the environmental duties of $3 that Quebec motorists currently pay on each tire to finance recycling will be increased to $4.50. The fee will be $6 for the recycling of each truck tire.
In effect since 1999, the used tire recovery program had not been updated since. Without this increase, the recycling program would have become loss-making starting in 2024.
The fee is no longer representative of the current costs of collecting and processing scrap tires, explains Québec in its budget documents.
In addition, Recyc-Québec will now have to submit a report on the financial viability of the program every five years.
Minister Girard allocates an additional budget of $1.4 billion to the 2023-2028 Implementation Plan for a Green Economy.
Quebec's plan to fight climate change over five years, will benefit a total of nine billion dollars, or an average of $1.8 billion per year.
Those who have been waiting for big announcements for transit projects or viable funding from major transit companies will have to wait until another budget.
Besides a Investing $722 million over six years to improve the accessibility and efficiency of transportation networks, the budget does not contain major public transit announcements.
De of this amount, only $400 million over six years will be devoted to reviving public transit at a time when the major public transit companies are posting serious deficits.
In Montreal only, the shortfall of the Société de transport de Montréal for 2023 is estimated at $78 million.
Quebec will also allocate $60 million over five years to encourage the use of the railway network for the transport of people and goods.
< p class="e-p">A sum of $200 million will also be allocated to the improvement and maintenance of municipal road networks.
