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By Joel Ceausu
The Suburban

Montreal’s Official Opposition and the Association québécoise de défense des droits des personnes retraitées et préretraitées (AQDR) are calling for better public transit services for Montreal seniors.

Montréal’s population includes some 350,000 people age 65 and Ensemble Montreal and the seniors’ group want a public consultation on the mobility needs of seniors, and for the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) to extend its public taxi services to the entire population.

“There are more and more seniors in Montreal, and they have special needs,” said Montréal-Nord Mayor Christine Black, Opposition spokesperson for public transit and mobility. “Their lifestyles are different, as are their travels and their ease of access to the Métro… These are all things that need to be taken into account in planning our public transit services. And that starts with improving targeted services.”

Given that seniors are more likely to suffer from mobility problems, and that nearly two-thirds of 41 Métro stations have no elevator, access to public transit is difficult for many of them. The Taxibus (STM shared taxi) service, which could also help seniors get around town, is quite limited, they say: There are only 15 lines, of which only three are reserved for seniors (Pointe-Claire, Dorval and Nuns’ Island).

Ensemble Montréal is insisting that the service be extended to better serve more distant neighbourhoods, all the more necessary as the Navette Or golden-age shuttle taxis reserved for seniors have been shut down since 2020, and no announcement has been made about their possible return.

The Official Opposition is also repeating its call for creation of a Seniors’ council to guide the administration in addressing the needs and issues of the senior population, particularly in terms of mobility. That’s the point, says spokesperson for seniors Chantal Rossi. “Free public transit for 65-year-olds meets the needs of some, but not all, seniors. If we want to offer a city that is truly accessible to all, we need to expand the shared Navette Or and Taxibus services, pending a public consultation.”

Pierre Lynch, chair of the executive council of the AQDR said “We need to be aware of their needs and give priority to human-scale services, since access to public transit is a part of our social fabric, an essential service. Service accessibility for seniors must be a key element in the City of Montreal’s priorities.” n