Hundreds of motorcycle riders in Quebec have staged a protest against the province’s increasing insurance costs.

Bikers across the province protested against the changes announced by the Société de l ‘assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) for 2019-2021. The rally was held Sunday afternoon in Trois-Rivières, Montreal Gazette reported.

According to Jeannot Lefebvre, chairperson of the motorcyclists’ political action committee, SAAQ’s changes would lead to annual rate increases, for the average rider, from $95 to $600. For sports bikes, the rates will rise by $325 to $1,500 a year.

SAAQ reasoned that the increases are a response to the rise in motorcycle accidents in the province. In 2016, there were over 2,000 motorcycle accidents in Quebec.

This is not the first time the province’s motorcyclists have protested against insurance increases. A few years ago, riders disrupted traffic by driving at low speeds on major roads.

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