Two Montreal Opposition city councillors are asking for more accountability from the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) and calling on public transit officials to guarantee bus and metro service.
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Alan DeSousa and Lionel Perez say they are planning to introduce a motion at city council this month requesting that the public transit agency offer financial compensation to users if service drops below its standards.
For instance, if STM buses or metro trains are running late, if staff members are impolite or if STM property is filthy, they say they want users to be able to file a complaint and be eligible to get money back.
“This compensation program will create accountability and will tell users that there is a direct financial cost if the level of service that we promise is not guaranteed,” Montreal city councillor and Opposition leader Lionel Perez said at a Monday morning press conference.
Other public transit agencies in North America and Europe offer similar programs, said Perez.
Montreal’s commuter train network, the RTM, is studying a plan to implement a performance guarantee service this year. Laval’s public transit agency, the STL, has already established a performance guarantee.
“They just completed their first year of operations and they said it was a resounding success,” Perez said.
Perez estimates a financial compensation program would cost the STM between $500,000 to $1 million a year — a small percentage of the transit agency’s annual operating budget which is well above $1 billion.
The two councillors are planning to introduce their motion at the June 18 council meeting.
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