Sophie Brisson, who depends on the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) paratransit service to get around, just wanted to subscribe to the OPUS year-round program to simplify the renewal of her monthly card. She found herself caught up in an administrative chaos that caused her two months of stress and anxiety.
Disabled, Sophie Brisson has been paralyzed on the left side since birth. As her mobility is reduced, she uses paratransit for her daily activities. “It’s like a metro, but individual. You have to have your monthly pass or a ticket,” explains Pascale Barrette Brisson, Sophie’s sister, who takes care of managing her paratransit, in an interview.
On May 22, Pascale Barrette Brisson decided to subscribe her sister to the OPUS program for the year. She was then far from suspecting that she would be dragged into administrative maze resulting from a flagrant lack of communication. “Lucky that I’m here, because if I hadn’t been there, what would Sophie have done? says Pascale Barrette Brisson.
The title is supposed to come into force on 1er July, and the card must be mailed. The amount of the pass for the month of July is debited from Sophie Brisson’s bank account on June 11. But almost a month later, no card in sight.
On June 19, Pascale Barrette Brisson sends a first email to the STM to notify the problem. An employee replied, a few minutes later: “It’s only June 19, the card will arrive for June 1.er July,” reads his email.
On June 22, Pascale Barrette Brisson is relaunching the STM. He is told to wait. Again.
Nightmare at Saint-Michel station
But on June 28, three days before the 1er July, still no card. And this is where the situation gets complicated. Since June 26, exo – Réseau de transport métropolitain has been responsible for the management and customer service of the OPUS à l’année program.
Pascale Barrette Brisson therefore decided to make a phone call to exo customer service on June 29 at the end of the morning. The employee tells her that her sister can go to any STM Customer Space, including the Saint-Michel metro station, the most convenient for Sophie Brisson. She is assured that the STM employees on site have a list of all the people in the same situation and that Sophie will be able to recharge her OPUS card or that a temporary card will be given to her.
At 2 p.m. the same day, Sophie Brisson goes to the Saint-Michel station. The employees, who are not aware of the existence of the list mentioned by exo, refuse to recharge his OPUS card.
I felt that no one wanted to help me. You know, I wouldn’t have treated someone like that. If I had the choice, I would have a car.
Sophie Brisson, in interview with The Press
At that time, Sophie Brisson telephoned her sister, who immediately contacted exo’s customer service. While Pascale Barrette Brisson is on line with exo, she receives a call from the Saint-Michel station controller. He informs her that his sister, who has a mild intellectual disability and becomes disorganized under stress, is in crisis. “He said to me, ‘Your sister is here. She is angry. I am here for safety. If your sister is still upset, I will call the SPVM,” says Pascale Barrette Brisson.
On this subject, the position of the STM, provided in writing, indicates that they “have not found any incident or intervention report in their registers and therefore cannot corroborate the situation described by Pascale B. Brisson”.
Following the event, Pascale Barrette Brisson sends an email to exo to file an official complaint. “This constitutes threats to a vulnerable and disabled person living with prejudice linked to erroneous information provided to him by the exo service,” it reads.
After the chaos, a denouement
Despite her relentless efforts, Pascale Barrette Brisson believes that she did not receive adequate follow-up.
What changed when The Press joined exo on Tuesday.
Less than 24 hours later, Pascale Barrette Brisson finally heard from exo, who promised to find a solution. She finds it deplorable that it took a call from The Press to finally have his questions answered.
Eric Edström, media relations advisor at exo, says it was not a phone call from a journalist that led to contact with the Brisson family. “I find it a pity that you assume that it is the call of The Press who initiated the process,” he said in an interview.
He maintains that it is a communication problem between exo and Pascale Barrette Brisson, and not between exo and the STM.
Sophie Brisson finally received her OPUS card towards the end of the week. Although the request was made on May 22, the STM did not ship it until June 29.
The STM has confirmed to The Press that “the client’s card was mailed later than usual, on June 29,” referring to an administrative delay. This information was never communicated to Pascale Barrette Brisson, which could have calmed the situation.
“It’s incredible how little there is to make the lives of people with disabilities easy,” says Pascale Barrette Brisson. Everything is a battle. Everything is complicated. »