With DUO auto + bus, the STM and Communauto offer even more

Press release


 

With DUO auto + bus,
the STM and Communauto offer even more

Montreal, January 16, 2008 - Mr. Claude Trudel, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Société de Transport de Montréal (STM), and Mr. Benoît Robert, Chief Executive Officer of Communauto, announced today an initial agreement that will enable Montrealers to take advantage of a new mobility offer called DUO auto+bus, combining public transport and serve-serve vehicles.

Clients who agree to purchase 12 consecutive monthly STM passes will be allowed to use Communauto’s vehicles by adding only $5 to the regular price of their pass, at either the regular or reduced fare, without having to pay the $535 subscription fee that Communauto usually charges.

Thanks to this agreement, which will be presented to the public at the upcoming Montreal International Auto Show, DUO auto+bus subscribers will gain access to a network of some 190 bus lines, 68 metro stations and 700 vehicles located in Communauto’s 250 parking stations.

"We are proud of our association with Communauto," declared Mr. Trudel. "This partnership underlines the STM’s commitment toward sustainable development and its desire to add initiatives of this sort - be it in terms of environmental protection or promoting the use of public transport - to the actions it undertakes on a daily basis. Indeed, the car sharing formula is a good complement to public transport, as it meets the mobility needs of our clients while contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions."

The results of agreements that Communauto has previously established with other public transport companies in Quebec indicate that DUO auto+bus is an excellent way for these companies to develop client loyalty by giving their clients an added reason to buy monthly passes year-round," added Mr. Robert, CEO of Communauto.

Many studies have demonstrated that the use of self-serve vehicles, as a complement to public transport and active means of transportation, represents one of the best ways of reducing the number of cars in circulation and limiting the use of the automobile. In 77% of cases, after subscribing to Communauto, car sharing users in Quebec either decided against buying a vehicle or sold of one of their cars. Furthermore, the cost of using self-serve vehicles and the need to reserve a car before using it lead to a more rational use of automobiles.

For these reasons, and because of its numerous positive impacts on the environment, DUO auto+bus was awarded, in April of last year, the Collective Transport prize by the Association Québécoise des Transports et des Routes (AQTR).

Public launch at the Auto Show

The STM, in collaboration with Communauto and Équiterre, will be present at the Montreal International Auto Show, held at the Palais des Congr�s de Montréal from January 18 to 27, 2008. At the event, STM representatives will provide information on he basic principles of their bus driver training program, which focuses on eco-friendly driving, and on the benefits that this method of preventive driving has for all drivers. In addition, Communauto representatives will promote DUO auto+bus, offered in association with the STM. Visitors to the Auto Show can also take part in a contest for a chance to win one of four DUO auto+bus packages.

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