CUPE Local 3434 members protested Sherbrooke, Que., public transit’s efforts to contract out more routes at a transit board meeting this week.
The board plans to use private contractors to service a new route to an outlying shopping mall.
CUPE Local 3434 president Ghislain Leroux points out that transit riders lose with contracted out routes.
“Because this route won’t be integrated within the rest of the service, it will be difficult for users to get information on the other lines and schedules,” he said.
Sherbrooke transit already contracts out some suburban routes.
“Why do people in these neighbourhoods - who pay the same taxes as everyone - not have the right to the same services?” he said.
Worse still, the transit board plans to spend $200,000 to set up a private shuttle to take WalMart employees out to the store in the off hours.
Leroux said it was “shocking” that the transit board would offer early morning and late night service to a WalMart when several suburbs had no evening service at all.