Major computer failure: SAAQ forced to close its branches

A bit of déjà vu for citizens: The major computer outage that is paralyzing services to the population continues for a second day at the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), which has even been forced to close its branches.

"Customers who had an appointment will be contacted to be offered a new appointment in the coming days," the state-owned company said in a press release Wednesday morning.

Only practical driving tests scheduled for today will be able to take place. Other services will not be available. "For all other services, we are forced to close our service centers and agents."

The SAAQ, which undertook a digital shift that turned sour last year, wanted to reassure customers about their personal information. According to our information, the outage originated from Microsoft's Azure data center, which hosts the SAAQ.

"This outage, linked to a server farm supporting several support and mission services, is currently preventing access to several services. The failure prevents access to the SAAQclic solution, even though it is functional. The SAAQ wishes to reassure its customers: customer data is not affected," it reads.

Spokesperson Gino Desrosiers said that to mitigate the impact of the outage, the state-owned company is currently looking into extending its opening hours and offering appointments on Saturdays.

Microsoft's fault

The Minister of Cybersecurity and Digital Affairs, Gilles Bélanger, pointed the finger at the American multinational. "This has nothing to do with SAAQclic, it's with Microsoft, Microsoft Azur, which hosts the SAAQclic! solution," he told journalists in the corridors of the National Assembly. "It's a question of data contamination, so the data is difficult to read, it's just data fragmentation."

Wouldn't Quebec benefit from abandoning the American company? The minister pointed out that contractual agreements currently bind the government to Microsoft. "It doesn't happen overnight," he insisted. "There are penalties" for tearing up a contract.

Gilles Bélanger agreed that this new paralysis of SAAQ services was, however, "unacceptable."

The work of traffic controllers is affected

The state-owned company's IT problems also affect the work of traffic controllers, who are unable to access data to intervene with road users.

Driver's licenses, registration, special permits for vehicle width, license conditions, taxi licenses and others: "there is no validation possible at this time," declared Jean-Claude Daignault, president of the Brotherhood of Road Control Constables of Quebec.

The opposition parties in Quebec City have taken turns lamenting the situation. "It's a fiasco! At what time does the minister (Geneviève Guilbault) become responsible?" asked interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay. For Québec solidaire, Quebecers have already "overpaid" for services that are substandard.

Let us recall that the SAAQclic digital transformation fiasco, which forced the state-owned company to close its doors for three weeks a little over a year ago, will cost Quebec taxpayers half a billion dollars more than expected.

The state-owned company's troubles have taken their toll on Éric Caire, who has lost his position as Minister of Cybersecurity and Digital Affairs. A commission of inquiry has even been launched to shed light on this massive cost overrun involving public money.

- With the collaboration of Nicolas Lachance