Quebec Transport Minister François Bonnardel has fired the interim president of the provincial ferry corporation for having failed to provide consistent service for people in eastern Quebec.

The minister says François Bertrand, interim president of the Société des traversiers (STQ) who has been working there for 10 years, has left hundreds of people in the lurch.

"It's unacceptable," Bonnardel said.

For the next two weeks, people will have to take airplanes across the St. Lawrence River from Matane, Que., to Baie-Comeau.

The new $175-million ferry that would carry the passengers otherwise, the F.-A.-Gauthier, is not functioning properly. It's barely three years old, and it will take eight months to fix.

"I'm very concerned about the situation," Bonnardel said.

He said he wasn't satisfied with the explanation Bertrand gave for the two-week delay in bringing L'Apollo, the replacement ferry. It won't be ready until Feb. 13.

Bonnardel is considering legal action. He has asked government lawyers if Quebec can sue the Italian company that sold the F.-A.-Gauthier to the STQ.