Alleged bus network problems – The STM responds

News

Following the publication of an article after an access to information request, the STM’s maintenance employee union issued several press releases and made a number of allegations related to bus maintenance. The STM wishes to reply to these statements, which do not accurately reflect the situation.

Following the publication of an article after an access to information request, the STM’s maintenance employee union issued several press releases and made a number of allegations related to bus maintenance. The STM wishes to reply to these statements, which do not accurately reflect the situation.

Negotiations

  • The recent union actions are related to the negotiations for the renewal of the union’s collective agreement, the major issue being the flexibility of work schedules to reduce overtime.
  • The focus of our priorities and our demands to the union is the improvement of the quality of service offered to customers, which can be achieved through preventive maintenance work on buses to improve reliability.
  • All this must be done without impacting service, which requires the necessary personnel available in the evening and at night, when the majority of buses are in the garages and not out on the road.
  • The negotiation process continues with an independent mediator for a second 60-day period, and the STM once again stresses that it wants to reach an agreement as soon as possible.

New refuelling method

  • The new procedure implemented generates savings of $1 million in overtime.
  • This method exists elsewhere and has proven its effectiveness.
  • The STM keeps a record of daily kilometres travelled by buses between refuelling to know how often they must be refuelled.
  • This is a new method and it is normal that adjustments have to be made.

Fuel gauge and breakdowns

  • 840 biodiesel buses are equipped with a fuel gauge and a warning light that activates when the fuel level reaches 10%, like in the hybrid buses.
  • An average of five notifications of a lack of fuel (yellow warning light activated) per week is recorded, for 1,400 buses in service each day on the road.
  • The STM has adjusted the fuel sensor and is improving the monitoring of refuelling to rectify this situation.
  • Buses that are low on fuel are replaced at the end of their route, with no passengers on board.

Using hybrid buses in an urban context

  • It is incorrect to state that hybrid buses were not designed to operate in an urban environment.
  • They were designed for frequent start-stop driving; the problem involves the diesel engine, more specifically, its filters.
  • These particulate filters are required by regulation (clean engines).
  • The STM is among the first transportation authorities to test this technology.
  • The “engine codes” linked to the filter after a few months of operation and mentioned by the union do not indicate a problem, but rather that a manual task must be carried out on the filter.

Alleged hiring freeze

  • The STM has not made any cuts to maintenance and operations positions. On the contrary, hiring has continued based on labour planning.

Out-of-service rate

  • The out-of-service rate is 24% today; this figure is due to the residual effects of the union’s pressure tactics during the year.
  • The yearly average is 18%.
  • A rate of 30% was reached in the spring, when union action was at its strongest.
  • The number of out-of-service buses includes those undergoing planned maintenance:
    • seasonal maintenance (e.g., tire changing);
    • SAAQ maintenance (at 10,000 km and 20,000 km – 4,300 checks are performed each year);
    • preventive maintenance recommended by the engineering team or the manufacturer.
  • The STM is obligated to keep its buses for 16 years. The fleet of hybrid buses is two years old, while the total fleet has an average age of nine years.

Vehicle quality

  • As a public corporation, the STM awards its contracts for the acquisition of buses to the lowest bidder deemed compliant. The contract was awarded to NOVA BUS last summer.
  • The new vehicles delivered are inspected by the STM, and if a problem is detected, the bus is returned to the manufacturer.