STM promotes good habits with new rider awareness campaign

With back-to-school season in full swing and transit networks seeing record ridership levels, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) is launching a new campaign reminding its customers of good things they can do to offer everyone a better travel experience.

Running throughout the fall, the campaign will initially focus on five key habits chosen for their positive impact on service reliability and the comfort of customers and employees:

• Wearing headphones when using a cell phone – This is the first network-wide campaign encouraging people to respect others and their right to a calm environment by not making calls, playing games, or listening to music on speakerphone. 
• Letting the métro doors close – Holding the doors open stops the train from leaving on time and can cause service interruptions if the doors get jammed.
• Keeping personal belongings away from the métro tracks – When customers drop items onto the tracks, it can damage the trains. Plus, the power needs to be cut so that staff can retrieve them, which causes service interruptions.
• Putting your bag at your feet – This is a good habit on both the bus and métro. It frees up space, makes the vehicle feel less crowded, and helps prevent falls and injuries in case of sudden stops.
• Being kind to others – The STM is sending a broad message of respect and kindness toward both transit employees and fellow customers.

Focusing on the positives

The creative process behind the campaign was based on the idea that good habits are contagious. The distinctive retro style, use of positive language, and cheerful illustrations are all designed to encourage customers to keep up their good habits through positive reinforcement.

“With this campaign, the STM wants to reach people who may be unintentionally doing the wrong things or who may be unaware that their actions can make transit service less reliable and the customer experience less enjoyable,” says Marie-Claude Léonard, CEO of the STM. “By focusing on the positives that come from good habits, the STM hopes to start a positive feedback loop with customer habits.”

Produced entirely in-house, the campaign will be rolled out on the STM’s digital communication channels and in print. Thanks to its partnerships with signage providers, the STM will only have to pay for the cost of printing.

Backed by the numbers

• In 2023, 18% of the time lost due to service interruptions or slowdowns caused by customer behavior was due to objects being dropped onto the tracks, and 8% was due to people holding the doors open.
• According to STM surveys:
  • 34% of customers say that disrespectful and unkind behaviour seems to be on the rise.
  • 78% of bus customers and 84% of métro customers say they have witnessed disrespectful or unkind behaviour on public transit.

Visuals (French only)