The school transport service of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) could be “reduced” in the coming days, at the dawn of the end-of-year exams. Faced with a “lack of staff”, the STM risks having to reduce part of its “dedicated school lines” service.
Posted at 8:00 a.m.
“The STM is currently having to deal with a staffing shortage that limits our ability to deliver our entire bus service. To this end, the entire school service cannot be provided at all times between June 13 and 23, ”indicates the organization, in a letter sent to parents of students, during the last days.
By email, the spokesperson for the STM, Amélie Régis, specifies that “the service of school lines is not suspended”, but that it could “be reduced according to the availability [des] staff”. “This situation is attributable to the start of vacation for drivers in connection with the summer period. We are redoubling our efforts to maintain an adequate level of service when the situation requires it and are trying as much as possible to mitigate the impact that this reduction in service could have on the school clientele,” she said.
” Since [lundi], we covered 99.41% of the usual service offer, either by school lines, or by the regular network, or by reinforcement buses. Almost all schools are served by the regular network. When they are not, we also prioritize them,” insists Ms.me Regis. A total of 54 schools are served by STM school transportation.
Joined by The Press, the English-Montreal School Board (CESM), which administers one of the affected establishments – Lester-B.-Pearson high school in Montreal North – confirmed that “certain specialized services could be interrupted during the month of June “. “The only services that will be affected are the special buses that go to our schools. […] Regular STM buses are still available for students to travel to schools,” maintained spokesperson Michael J. Cohen.
At the STM, it is confirmed that the six daily trips to this school remain in theory “planned” until June 21. If necessary, however, the organization invites students and their parents to “plan their trips” by consulting the regular service schedules on its website. The schools concerned who have questions can also contact the school service of the transport company.
A longer journey?
In the long term, many students could be affected by this break in service, worried Tuesday the mayor of the borough of Montreal-North, Christine Black, during the session of the city council of Montreal, asking for accounts. to the Plante administration.
“Lester-B.-Pearson High School welcomes students from as far away as Saint-Léonard and Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles. These sectors have for years had a deficient public transport service, so don’t tell me that there will be many alternatives for traveling in the morning and evening, ”she lambasted.
Mme Black says he does not understand “why the administration can tolerate” this situation in the midst of exams, “which already causes a lot of stress” for young people. “When we look at the estimates with the regular lines, the journey will take up to an hour for a student from Rivière-des-Prairies and Pointe-aux-Trembles,” she further denounced.
Morning service, assures the City
In the office of Mayor Valérie Plante, it is argued that the STM is “fully mobilized to ensure the transport of schoolchildren everywhere on the island, in a context of labor shortage”.
La Pointe-aux-Prairies district councilor and parent of a Lester-B.-Pearson school student, Lisa Christensen, said Tuesday that the service will remain in effect “in the morning only” . “There will be service for young people in the morning,” she certified, citing an internal communication sent by the management of the establishment.
At his side, the François-Perrault district councilor, Sylvain Ouellet, promised that checks would be made to ensure the best possible service.
“However, you should know that the school service offered by the STM and the City is not subsidized by Quebec, unlike all school transportation across Quebec, which is offered by the government with the yellow buses. So it’s something, a bit like level 5 of the police service, which is paid for out of Montrealers’ taxes,” he said, also pointing out that school bus transportation “is in addition to regular lines”, which continue to operate.