Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I'd also like to thank the witnesses for being with us today.
We're very happy to see you here. It's an important subject, particularly in rural areas, where people have been seriously affected.
During the pandemic, I heard that there had been a complete shutdown of services and that some companies, private carriers in particular, were facing serious financial problems.
I had the opportunity to meet a few representatives of these companies during that time. They told me that there was government assistance for labour and rents, but that transportation companies did not receive any particular assistance. That meant that the buses stayed parked. However, they had to continue to pay expenses, even if they were not operating their bus lines. The situation at the time had become very complex.
Mr. Accardi, How did you experience the situation and where do you stand today?