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    1. Safety & Security

    STM announces service expansion of Between Stops to all customers

    Sept. 20, 2022
    The program aims to improve the sense safety of all passengers throughout the bus network.
    Related To: Societe de transport de Montreal (STM)
    STM
    22305 Entre 2 Arrets Salle De Presse A Stm 6329d720ed399

    The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) expanded its service allowing passengers to get off the bus between two stops by offering it to all its customers to improve a sense of safety on the network. 

    Any customer travelling alone or with children can request this service between 7:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. This includes people in wheelchairs, so long as bus ramps can be deployed safely.

    Since 1996, the Between Stops service has been offered exclusively to women travelling alone on the bus network. Removing the eligibility criteria based on gender identity and expanding the service to include people with reduced mobility aim to offer the same safe travel experience to all STM customers who might feel unsafe in the city at night.

    “The Between Stops service expansion is another step closer to our objective of ensuring that all our customers feel safe during their trips. The STM will continue to work with other transit agencies and community stakeholders to identify best practices in this area,” said STM CEO Marie-Claude Léonard.

    It is important to note that once a request for a drop-off between two stops has been made, the driver’s first responsibility is ensuring that it is possible to stop the vehicle safely. This service is not available on express lines and shuttles to limit impacts on the timeliness of service delivery, or on the coming Pie-IX BRT due to its configuration in the middle rather than the right lane.

    Recognizing the problem and taking action

    The STM says it believes that it is essential that all its customers feel safe when using the bus, métro and paratransit services, and recognizes that street harassment exists in Montréal and, by extension, in its network. The STM notes it strictly condemns street harassment and is committed to finding and implementing measures to address the issue.

    The Between Stops service expansion is in line with this commitment. It is the first step in an important process that involves the entire organization—one that the STM says it has undertaken in an open, humble and, most of all, responsive manner.