Focus on Customer Experience and Integrated Urban Mobility at National Transit Conference in Montreal

MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC - Nov. 23, 2015 - While commuters hopped on buses, bikes, rail and street cars early this morning, representatives and stakeholders from Canada's transit industry had already made their first stop in a what will be a packed schedule at The Canadian Urban Transit Association's (CUTA) Fall Conference and Trade Show in Montreal.

The focus of the three-day event is 'the customer' - or, as referenced lately, 'the agile mobility user'. As service providers see more integration across multiple modes of transportation in cities, "people are making their way, their own way" says Patrick Leclerc President and CEO of CUTA. "Transit is the core of the urban transportation solution, there is no doubt" says Leclerc, "and to ensure that we are keeping pace with how people want to move about their communities, we have to integrate transit service, design and technology with other modes and user preferences".

Addressing a roomful of delegates representing transit systems, manufacturers, suppliers, stakeholders and other government officials this morning, Quebec Minister of Transport Robert Poëti commented on partnership in the industry and the importance of planning and delivering value to customers. This, on the heels of the Minister's announcement to reform transit governance in the Montreal region to ensure unified planning, service delivery and a more seamless experience for transit users in the area.

"Our government is committed to reviewing transit governance in the greater Montréal area because the existing model is no longer responding to the needs of region. The proposed legislation promises better industry governance, improvements to service for passengers while simplifying organizational structure and fares" confirmed Robert Poëti, Quebec Minister of Transportation and Minister responsible for the region of Montréal.

This week's theme also resonates with event co-hosts Société de transport de Montréal (STM) and Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT), who were also on hand this morning to welcome delegates.

"CUTA's event in Montréal provides a great opportunity for STM to join partners and stakeholders from the Canadian transportation industry" explains Philippe Schnobb, STM Board Chair. "We'll take this opportunity to learn from each other and understand the challenges associated with meeting customer needs while keeping pace with ever-changing technology" added Schnobb.

Paul Côté, President and CEO of AMT also spoke to delegates this morning underlining the importance of integrated mobility and the customer experience at AMT. "We're very pleased to welcome and co-host CUTA's Fall conference on Integrated Mobility. More than ever, people are choosing public transit as the smart and responsible choice and we are committed to offering customers service that is efficient, fast and easy to access. That, is integrated mobility" said Côté.

The conference goes until this Wednesday with the trade show taking place all day Tuesday and newly appointed Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Amarjeet Sohi will address delegates at CUTA's National Individual Awards ceremony on Wednesday morning.

About CUTA

CUTA is the collective and influential voice of public transportation in Canada, dedicated to being at the centre of urban mobility issues with all orders of government, and delivering the highest value to its members and the communities they serve. CUTA is the national association representing public transit systems, suppliers to the industry, government agencies, individuals and related organizations in Canada.