Face coverings mandatory on public transit: STM’s reaction

The STM is aware that this measure will raise questions from customers. It commits to keeping its customers informed through its usual communication platforms as details regarding the implementation become available. However, the STM reminds that its employees will not be able to exercise surveillance control over all customers. Other solutions must be considered.

As announced in its lockdown lifting plan last May and to encourage passengers to wear face coverings, the STM and other transit agencies in Greater Montréal distributed close to 300,000 washable face coverings to customers in their different networks between May 25 and June 22. The STM will carry out a second distribution wave on July 13. Thanks to government support, a total of 1.5 million face coverings will eventually be handed out in the Montréal region.

Lockdown lifting at the STM

The STM would like to remind the public that wearing face coverings is an additional precaution to take in public places and must be done in addition to other applicable protection measures, such as physical distancing where possible, coughing into the elbow, frequent hand washing and staying at home when sick. To help with this, the STM has installed 224 automatic hand sanitizer dispensers in all entrance buildings and public access points to the métro.

Other lockdown lifting measures are already in place, such as increased cleaning operations and optimized public transit services. New measures will be deployed soon, including the installation of protective screens for bus drivers and the gradual deployment of the option to pay with debit/credit cards in métro station fare booths. New signage elements will also be installed over the summer to encourage customers to adopt health measures in stations.