STM’s plan to turn paratransit over to private companies raising concerns

The STM's paratransit minibuses are soon going to be a thing of the past. The service is being turned over to private companies, causing some concern.

The STM’s paratransit minibuses are soon going to be a thing of the past.

The service is being turned over to outside private companies, causing some concern.

The adapted transit service is far from perfect but it’s still better than shared cabs, says user Laurent Morissette.

“There are concerns over if the same quality of service will be maintained,” Morissette said.

Morissette relies on the STM’s adapted transit service weekly for medical appointments, social outings, and daily errands.

He knows how crucial it is for drivers to understand users' needs.

“Working with people with disabilities is not one size fits all job. You have to adapt yourself and the approach you use,” Morissette said.

He believes STM drivers handle this better than taxi drivers in adapted transit. But now, the STM is shifting all public adapted transport to private taxi companies.

STM CEO Marie-Claude Leonard says 90 per cent was already handled by the taxi industry, transferring the rest will cut costs. There are no job losses but 130 STM drivers will be reassigned.

Still, their union wants adapted transport to partially stay with them. Union president Frederic Therrien says it’s about protecting the public and argues private companies focus on profits, not service.

The union launched a petition and is planning a protest Monday.

Steven Laperrière, who advocates for people with disabilities, also worries about training differences between STM and private drivers.

“Will it be up to par to what the STM is doing right now? I’m not sure,” said Laperrière, executive director of RAPLIQ.

STM drivers train for five weeks but taxi drivers get less than a day, which he says is a safety issue.

“How to handle a person with disabilities, securing them in the bus, the politeness, the words to use and not to use and so on,” he explained.

The transfer is set for 2026.

Morissette hopes that if it happens, users will be consulted first.

“Sometimes, we’re perceived as just numbers on expense reports and we’re not consulted and when we are, sometimes it’s after the fact,” he said.