Montrealers will be able to bring their dog with them on the metro, starting October 15, as part of a nine-month trial.
However, several conditions will be put in place.
In particular, dogs will be prohibited during peak hours on weekdays, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and during major events. They will also have to be kept on a leash and provided with a muzzle, and will not have the right to climb on the seats.
Although it is not an obligation, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) recommends that owners avoid escalators, which could cause injury to the animal.
Also, the STM only has authority over the entrances and entrances that belong to it. For this reason, the Longueuil–Université-de-Sherbrooke station is currently excluded from the pilot project, although discussions are underway on this subject.
With this test, the STM wishes to verify whether the safety of métro customers and employees will be affected, as well as the integrity and cleanliness of its facilities. She is also trying to find out what the impact will be for the experience of public transit users.
“We will rigorously and continuously evaluate the results of the pilot project in order to make an informed decision on the implementation of such a measure in the métro network,” said Éric Alan Caldwell, Chairman of the STM Board.
Guide and assistance dogs, which were already permitted, may continue to accompany their master at all times. It will also always be possible to travel with an animal kept in a cage.
Last April, the Montreal City Council, at the initiative of the official opposition, asked the STM to set up a pilot project by the end of the year to allow dogs in its network.