Since Monday, people with disabilities can no longer count on the presence of a companion when they use the adapted transport of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), a situation that makes them vulnerable and that they denounce.
Posted at 5:00 a.m.
“We feel discriminated against and insecure,” insists Linda Gauthier, president of the Regroupement des activists pour l’inclusion au Québec (RAPLIQ).
Mme Gauthier has received many testimonials from people with reduced mobility who are disconcerted by this new measure imposed by the STM.
She herself is affected by the change: suffering from multiple sclerosis, confined to a wheelchair, she must also receive chemotherapy treatments to treat cancer. But from now on, her spouse, who helped her during the treatments, will no longer be able to travel with her.
He will have to take a taxi to the hospital and back to be with me.
Linda Gauthier, talking about her spouse who can no longer accompany her in the paratransit vehicle
“I dare not imagine next Monday, when the school year starts, how it will be for teenagers and young adults who need support. »
Shortage of drivers
The STM’s decision stems from a shortage of paratransit vehicle drivers.
“We are facing a significant lack of staff, so we had to make the decision to temporarily limit travel outside the island as well as the presence of optional companions”, explains Philippe Déry, spokesperson for the transport company.
Ultimately, an optional attendant occupies a seat that could be occupied by a client.
Philippe Déry, STM spokesperson
Paratransit users with a mandatory companion are not affected by this measure, he specifies.
According to Linda Gauthier, of the 30,000 to 35,000 public transit users, about half were entitled to an optional companion and will now have to do without.
“When I called the STM to complain, I was only told to be patient,” laments M.me Gautier.
Bad work conditions
Why is there a shortage of paratransit drivers? According to the Association of Accessible Taxi Drivers of Quebec (ACTAQ), it is because of disadvantageous working conditions.
It should be noted that 88% of public transit trips are made by adapted taxis, belonging to private owners, while 12% are made in STM minibuses.
“Several drivers have left the area because we can’t make ends meet,” says Boualem Djebbar, president of ACTAQ. “We work at a discount. Our salaries are stagnating, but our expenses are increasing. »
Mr. Djebbar gives the example of the increase in the price of gasoline, which represents a major expense for taxi operators.
In addition, buying a van requires a big investment. Having the vehicle modified so that it can accommodate wheelchairs can cost between $27,000 and $30,000, while the Quebec government only offers a subsidy of $20,000, says the president of ACTAQ.
At the STM, we assure you to take into account the increase in the price of gasoline and the cost of living. In April, a mileage bonus was added to take into account the increase in fuel prices, says Philippe Déry.
The transport company also offered the drivers to reopen the three-year agreement that binds them. “We are confident that there could be a new agreement put in place for the fall, to put in place more advantageous conditions, which could promote recruitment,” said Mr. Déry.
The STM could therefore eventually start accepting companions in paratransit again, he adds.