On September 17, 2024, Ombudsperson Marc-André Dowd sent a letter to the Committee on Transportation and Environment. In it, he commented on Bill 61 – Act enacting the Act respecting Mobilité Infra Québec and amending certain provisions relating to shared transportation.
The Ombudsperson starts off by pointing out that his letter only concerns the Protecteur du citoyen’s jurisdiction regarding Mobilité Infra Québec and not whether it was a good idea to create this new agency.
Under the Public Protector Act, the Protecteur du citoyen has jurisdiction regarding public bodies whose staff are appointed in accordance with the Public Service Act. This would not apply to Mobilité Infra Québec employees. As a result, as the Bill now stands, the Protecteur du citoyen would not be empowered to handle complaints about this agency.
As part of transportation projects, the agency could acquire an immovable by mutual agreement or by expropriation,* and would have to interact with citizens. These acquisitions may greatly affect the people concerned and require recourse outside the courts, to, among other things, avoid court fees and delays.
Consequently, the Protecteur du citoyen recommended that the Bill be amended so that it has jurisdiction over complaints specifically concerning Mobilité Infra Québec’s expropriation powers.
Letter about Bill 61 (PDF, 118 KiB, in French only)
*The agency can force people or companies to cede their property. They are then issued compensation.
