REM MITIGATION MEASURES: STM AND ITS EMPLOYEES READY FOR JANUARY 2020

Press release

The STM reiterates its commitment to deploy 50 buses to support the REM mitigation measures, as of January 6, 2020.

Montréal, December 11, 2019 – As announced a few months ago with its Mobility Montréal partners, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) reiterates its commitment to deploy 50 buses to support the REM mitigation measures, as of January 6, 2020.

To do this, the STM has leased 30 coach buses from supplier Galland to provide shuttle service on the 968 Trainbus Roxboro/Côte-Vertu and 919 Trainbus Acadie/Mont-Royal/Namur shuttles. This amount of vehicles will allow the STM to offer the service, ensure maintenance and add bus reinforcements, if needed. STM drivers will operate these coach buses. The contract, for a duration of 6 months, amounts to $2.9 million (leasing and maintenance), will be paid from the Quebec government departmental allocation of $192 million for REM mitigation measures. The coach buses will be delivered this coming December 26 at the Stinson bus garage. The 964 Gare Bois-Franc/Côte-Vertu shuttle service will be provided by 16 regular STM buses.

It is important to note that until we once again have the number of buses required to offer regular and planned peak period service, we will have to do it with an evolving number of available buse, while the special measures in place this fall enable an improvement on the situation.

The workaround plan implemented a month ago to offset this situation is gradually having the desired effect. As of today, we can count on 1,315 buses, i.e., 83 more than on November 23. Two external supplier were recently to those who are already supporting the STM’s maintenance operations, with a view to getting buses back on the road as quickly as possible. The Saint-Denis bus garage will be opened in January 6, as planned.

Deployment of the strategy for receiving 300 new buses is ongoing with Novabus. 25 new buses were delivered in December and the operation will continue at a pace of 30 buses per month.

The STM wants to commend its employees for their work and thank them for their sustained efforts aimed at meeting our target of 1,425 buses on the road every morning.

To track our progress, see www.stm.info/servicebus

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medias@stm.info