The auditor general has launched an audit of the troubled issue of Quebec's SAAQclic auto insurance portal

Last winter Société de l'surance automobile du Quebec (SAAQ) tried to go digital with the SAAQclic platform, but things didn't go as planned.

After a chaotic spread of computer glitches, administrative errors, queues and long delays, Quebec's auditor general has announced an investigation into SAAQclic's rocky launch.

Eric Kair, the province's minister of cyber security and digital technology, described the whole thing as a “fiasco.”

The Office of the Auditor General, Guillain Leclerc, is inviting the public to share their experience using the online form for an audit of SAAQclic “and its components”.

The report is currently scheduled to be released in the winter of 2025, but the schedule is still subject to change, according to the auditor general's office.

Quebec City Le Soleil The newspaper first reported the audit on Friday, which was later confirmed.

Launched in February 2023, SAAQclic was pitched as a platform that allows consumers to carry out multiple transactions online, including renewing their driver's license, paying for vehicle registration or booking a driving test appointment.

But its launch was fraught with difficulties. Among other issues, SAAQ service centers had to close for two weeks to allow for the transition, as a result long line when they reopen.

Last fall, SAAQ President and CEO Eric Ducharme said the digital transition would cost an additional $41 million. This amount includes the hiring of 465 people, an annual cost of $28 million, as well as $6 million in overtime.

Ducharme took office last April after his predecessor, Denis Marsola, was sacked by the cabinet following the SAAQclic fiasco.

In total, the SAAQclic platform is expected to cost $458 million, but that number is now closer to $574 million, according to Le Soleil.

The Quebec Transport Minister's office told Radio-Canada that Minister Genevieve Guilbeau expects the SAAQ to cooperate fully with the auditor general.

“We await the conclusion of the report before commenting further,” the statement said.

As problems continue, employees become angry

In the year since SAAQclic was launched, SAAQ has received almost 15,000 complaints, more than the number of complaints in the previous five years.

But the headaches aren't limited to Quebec drivers.

“There are still challenges,” said Christian Daigle, head of the SFPQ, the union that represents public and para-public service workers in the province.

Months after the ordeal began, Daigle says SAAQ users are still frustrated by the technical hurdles, and some are working out frustrations with staff.

“We need to get to the bottom of this to find out what happened and make sure it doesn't happen anywhere else in the government,” he said.