STM chair Philippe Schnobb answers your questions about iBUS, AZUR and reckless bus drivers
Head of Montreal's transit agency dropped by CBC's Radio Noon to check in with listeners, Facebook viewers
The chair of Montreal's public transit agency, the STM, dropped by CBC's Radio Noon Thursday to answer your questions about the city's bus and Metro service.
Here are his answers to some of your questions.
Why is the posted schedule always wrong?
"We have a lot of roadwork. Sometimes we have snowstorms," Schnobb explained.
He said that real-time information is available through the STM's latest app, iBUS, which was launched last December.
Schnobb doesn't look at the posted schedule anymore and relies on the app, he says.
"When we say the bus is coming in five minutes, it's a real five minutes," he said of the app.
What happens if my bus driver is reckless?
If a driver is speeding or otherwise driving dangerously, Schnobb recommends writing down the bus number and alerting the STM.
"You have numbers like 37/304: it's the number of the bus, so if you have complaints, you can call or email customer service," he said.
Why doesn't our Metro run 24 hours a day?
Schnobb said maintenance work needs to be done at night, and the four or five hours maintenance workers have while the Metro is closed is already hard to manage.
Some cities have embraced a 24-hour subway system, but Schnobb explained that's only possible in cities with parallel subway lines.
Are we getting more AZUR trains?
The STM currently has 41 AZUR trains and expects to have 52 by the end of the year.
"I think 90 per cent of trains on the Orange line are AZUR. Before the end of the summer, 100 per cent of trains on the Orange line will be AZUR," Schnobb said.
Will the STM link up more closely with Bixi?
The STM is working to better integrate the Bixi bike rental service, Schnobb said.
Right now, a Bixi can be borrowed with an Opus pass.
Bixi is also offering discounts to full-time students and seniors with photo Opus cards this year
With files from CBC Montreal's Radio Noon