A passenger on the free shuttle linking the South Shore to the island of Montreal via the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel had an unpleasant surprise on Monday morning: she received a $124 fine for crossing a lane on foot. reserved for buses, heading towards the stop at the Sainte-Julie terminus.
Solange Bouchard took this free bus and metro service for the first time to get to work in downtown Montreal. Unfamiliar with the signage of the terminus, she walked in a “prohibited zone”.
A patrol officer from the transport company Exo, who was waiting next to his service vehicle, immediately approached the passenger and gave her a notice of violation. She was supposed to receive the $124 ticket in the mail in the next few weeks, but the ticket was canceled after The duty asked the transport company questions.
“The free shuttle just cost me $124. It’s a curious way to encourage people to take public transport during the work in the tunnel, ”responded Solange Bouchard on boarding the bus – before learning of the cancellation of the violation notice. , at the end of the day.
This Sainte-Julie resident, violinist with the Orchester Métropolitain, normally drives to the Maison symphonique. On this first day of work at the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel, she decided to take the Exo company shuttle, which takes passengers to the Radisson metro station, on the other side of the river. The bus and metro are free, to ease traffic.
Bus blind spots
“We are aware that several users of the lines of work mitigation measures in the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel are new users of public transit. This is why our inspectors are more in awareness mode with customers to remind them of the safety instructions in terminals and around buses,” says Jean-Maxime St-Hilaire, spokesperson for Exo.
The representative of To have to received awareness raising from two Exo patrollers on Monday morning. Seeing the journalist (who was setting foot for the first time at the Sainte-Julie terminus) crossing while walking in an area reserved for buses, they ordered him to turn back and take the detour to the pedestrian crossing.
“Otherwise, it’s a $124 fine,” warned an officer. “Thank you, Officer, for caring about my safety,” the reporter replied.
“As you have seen, in a bus loop, there are a lot of bus movements, especially those of the ‘coach’ type, which have to deal with significant blind spots. […] This is why our agents are proactive and make user safety their priority. In the case you mention, the lady had crossed into a prohibited area despite the inscription on the ground. […] After analysis, our inspectors took the decision not to give the report to the lady, transforming it rather into a warning, ”says the Exo company. No other statement of offense was issued on Monday, according to his spokesperson.
Relieved that her ticket has been cancelled, Solange Bouchard intends to take the shuttle back despite her misadventure. “We must do our part as citizens [pour éviter les bouchons de circulation] “, she says.
As a bonus, the free bus and metro combo was particularly effective in getting around Montreal on Monday morning.