Yes, your bus is late more often than usual. Not so bad from 2020

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The punctuality rate revealed by opposition parties at Monday’s city council meeting comes as the city and business groups are trying to attract more people to downtown, inciting Montrealers to stop traveling privately by car. It’s just as bad, Ensemble Montreal City Councilman Chantal Rossi said during the monthly council questioning session.

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“We also saw a sharp decline in customer satisfaction on the bus since July, largely due to dissatisfaction with punctuality,” said the parliamentary opposition leader. One Rossi said.

“If we want drivers to be interested in giving up the comfort of their cars, we have to offer them real options, competitive options.”

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STM data showed bus on-time performance was 76.8% in September, the lowest since the beginning of the year when on-time performance was between 81.7% and 86%. The last time the monthly bus on-time rate dipped below 80% was in February 2020, and he dropped to 78.3% the following month before returning to 85.7%.

“When the administration and the Chambres de Commerce Montreal Metropolitan are calling on people to leave their cars and head back downtown, we find that buses are delayed one in four times,” Rossi said. She called on the government to assure transport users that bus punctuality would improve by the end of the year.

Éric Alan Caldwell, trustee of Projet Montréal, chairman of STM, responded that his administration had made efforts to improve the quality of service for STM riders.

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“The quality of service to STM’s clients is fundamental,” he said.

“The ability to move people and provide excellent service[and]predictability allows us to invest in infrastructure, buy new buses …[and]invest in subway maintenance with new equipment to increase reliability. can continue.”

However, Caldwell acknowledged that there are challenges to bus service as congestion resumes in Montreal. to do,’ he said. Examples include adding reserved bus he lanes and technology to provide real-time information about bus arrivals, he said.

“Well, because you are right in saying that punctuality is important,” said Caldwell.