Gatineau taxi drivers angry over the Quebec government's move to overhaul the industry are striking Thursday morning.

Crown Taxi, Regal Taxi, Aylmer Taxi and Bob Taxi and are striking from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., according to Bob Taxi owner Toni Fadel.

"[The Minister] wants to eradicate us, bankrupt our families, so we have no choice, we have to go on a strike," Fadal said.

Loyal Taxi has not yet confirmed, but a spokesperson told Radio-Canada Wednesday night it was likely the drivers would strike.

Dispatchers will not take calls during these two hours, but para-transit service will be maintained.

Rotating strikes

Drivers from cities across the province have taken part in the rotating province-wide three-day strike that began Tuesday because of frustrations with the government's plan to deregulate the taxi industry.

A spokesman for the association representing the drivers says the pressure tactics are aimed at Transport Minister François Bonnardel, who the drivers accuse of being unwilling to listen to their concerns regarding proposed government legislation that would end the permit quota system.

Bill 17 comes with some $814 million in aid to compensate drivers for their losses, but the drivers say it isn't enough to stop many of them from sinking into bankruptcy.

"You hear the minister talking on the radios and on the television and he's sort of pointing on a cell phone that he's asking them to understand that he's modernizing the taxi industry, that he's paying... hundreds of millions of dollars for this industry," Fadal said.

"But what he's not telling them [is] that our industry is not for sale, we never went to the government and asked them to buy us out."

Transport Minister François Bonnardel says Bill 17 will to reduce the administrative, regulatory and financial burden on operators. (Radio-Canada)

Taxi association spokesman Serge Lebreux says the drivers realize the strike could lead some customers to turn to competitors such as Uber, but he said they have no choice but to take the risk.

Fadal said the government's legislation is putting the income of every taxi driver in jeopardy.

"We can't let those big corporations bully us in Quebec... we want the government to understand that we're not gonna accept our fate the way he's putting it to us," Fadal said.

Following the rotating strikes, a committee will review next steps, Fadal said. He said there's a possibility for a full-day strike and even a general strike.

"Today this bill is toward the taxi industry, tomorrow morning it could be to another industry in Quebec," he said.

Strikes have affected nearly every region of Quebec except Montreal, and are taking place in several dozen municipalities on Thursday, including Gatineau, Laval, Lachute, Trois-Rivières and Rouyn-Noranda.