STM launches new feature on its online reservation system for customers of Transport adapté

Press release

All the STM minibuses and the vehicles of its taxi partners will benefit from this new feature starting today

Montréal, March 28, 2022 – The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) is announcing the latest feature on the SIRTA online reservation system, which is applicable to all minibuses and taxi partner vehicles, for customers of Transport adapté. Launched today, the feature allows customers to track their vehicle’s real-time location on a map.

“This is excellent news for customers who use SIRTA, because the new feature means that they can now look at a map and track the vehicle that is going to pick them up,” says Éric Alan Caldwell, Chair of the STM Board of Directors. “The new feature is a testament to the STM’s expertise in paratransit and our desire to drive innovation and improve the customer experience. I would also like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the Extra Connecte project’s many accomplishments, which include being named the winner of the Canadian Urban Transit Association’s Innovation Award at their annual conference, a finalist in the IT Action Network’s OCTAS awards, and the winner of PMI-Montréal’s Élixir contest in the Project of the Year category.”

“This new feature will give customers more information about the timing of their trips with Transport adapté,” says Serge Poulin, General Director of RUTA Montréal (Regroupement des usagers du transport adapté et accessible de l’île de Montréal). “This is beneficial because people using paratransit services will be able to better manage their time with this information at their disposal.”

How vehicle tracking works

Vehicle-tracking information can be accessed with a computer, tablet or smartphone. The data shows up 10 minutes before the start of the pick-up window and remains available until drop-off at the customer’s destination.

The useful new feature will provide customers with a wealth of real-time information, such as:

  • The vehicle’s current location
  • Estimated pick-up and drop-off times
  • The type of vehicle making the trip (taxi or minibus)
  • Whether a customer is next in line to board the vehicle, or whether someone else is first
  • An alert when the vehicle arrives

“This new feature is a great complement to the other customer service tools available through Extra Connecte, our real-time trip management system,” adds Marie-Claude Léonard, Interim CEO of the STM. “Extra Connecte was introduced in 2018 and also sends customers a notification by text, call or email when their vehicle is about to arrive. In accordance with our 2025 Strategic Organizational Plan, which aims in part to enhance the customer experience, this new feature presents a major benefit for our customers in telling them exactly where their vehicle is located. Being the result of close collaboration between various STM teams and the disabled community, the feature was also designed to meet accessibility criteria.”

The STM has provided door-to-door paratransit service for people with disabilities since 1980. This reliable, safe and courteous specialized service contributes to the social, professional and economic inclusion of these groups. Around 35,000 customers use the service to travel on and around the Island of Montréal, with 86 STM minibuses providing 12% of trips and eight regular and accessible taxi services providing 88% of trips.

- 30 -