Users of line 747 connecting Trudeau airport to the city center will finally be able to obtain a “digital ticket” as of Wednesday, by purchasing a ticket on the Chrono or Transit mobile applications using a credit card.
This was announced by the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), which has never yet issued transport tickets by telephone on its network.
In September, The Press initially reported that the forceful return of travelers was overloading bus line 747. Many users denounced the lack of terminals or spaces to obtain a ticket, but also the fact that without a ticket, you have to pay the sum of $11 in exact change, bank notes not being accepted. A working group was formed urgently to find solutions.
In short, from Wednesday, customers will now be able to purchase one or more tickets with a credit card, via the Transit or Chrono applications, both already well known in the public transport sector.
The customer will then have to activate their digital ticket and show it to the driver when boarding, a bit like the Capital Transport Network (RTC) already does in Quebec. The title will remain valid for two hours following its activation.
If the customer wishes, they can then obtain a valid transport ticket “allowing access to all modes of transport in the Montreal agglomeration (zone A), for 24 hours”, specified the STM in a press release.
In the midst of digital transition
For the moment, this measure will only apply to the route of line 747, which connects the airport to downtown Montreal. If all goes well, everything could however be extended, especially since the Regional Metropolitan Transport Authority (ARTM) is currently working on a complete digital revolution by 2027, which includes the purchase of tickets by telephone or bank card. ‘by 2025 or 2026, at most.
The ARTM also reiterated on Tuesday that “several new features will be made available to users over the coming months”, including mobile recharging of the OPUS card, which is expected at the beginning of 2024.
In addition to purchasing digital tickets, the STM will also install a fifth ticket vending machine starting Wednesday. There were four so far and the company agreed that this number should be increased. The opening hours of the sales kiosk were also recently extended and an STM employee is now “dedicated to line 747” at the airport.
When ridership is high, especially during rush hour, the company also ensures that it will add bus departures. An operations manager will also be dispatched to the site during periods of high traffic to “speed up boarding”.