STM to provide minibus for passengers with reduced mobility

Credit: Société de transport de Montréal

As part of a new agreement, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) has announced that it is providing an accessible minibus for people with reduced mobility and will conduct maintenance for its entire service life. The minibus will allow the Old Brewery Mission (OBM), which is a resource for homeless people in Quebec, Canada, to provide transportation to the vulnerable population that it serves.

The new, smaller vehicle has a distinctive visual identity and is being offered as a replacement for the Solidaribus, which was initially loaned in 2020. The minibus will give OBM greater flexibility in delivering a specialised shuttle service to people experiencing homelessness by transporting them to emergency shelters and other resources.

As with the Solidaribus, the City of Montréal will cover the driver’s and psycho-social workers’ salaries, as well as gas.

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From 16:00 to 00:00, STM’s new minibus will travel the downtown streets, seven days a week, with an OBM responder on board. This will make it easier for many people to travel safely each night when in need of shelter, support services or a place to rest off of the streets.

In addition, the service will be supplemented by another vehicle, which OBM has been using for several years during high-traffic periods and which will now be easier to spot with the same design as the new minibus.