paratransit

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

Raymond Analytis knows what it means to depend on Montreal’s adapted transport system. Like thousands of Montrealers living with mobility challenges, he relies on the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) for accessible minibuses and adapted vehicles—the only way for many to get to work, attend social activities, and reach vital medical appointments. The STM’s paratransit service is available 365 days a year, staffed by drivers trained in first aid and CPR, who know their riders by name and understand their needs.

This sense of security is now in jeopardy and Analytis has made a mission of travelling to busy West Island locations including Fairview Pointe-Claire and the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue boardwalk to collect signature.

The STM has announced plans to privatize its paratransit operations in 2026, turning over responsibility to private companies as part of a cost-cutting strategy. For Analytis, who uses a wheelchair, the threat feels personal. “Any private company that takes over will be there to make money. We’ve already seen what happens elsewhere—kids missing school, people left waiting, appointments missed. During holidays, we might not even be able to go out,” Analytis told The Suburban.

Analytis’s concerns are echoed by many Montrealers who live with reduced mobility. They worry that privatization will bring unreliable service, higher costs, and a loss of the care and familiarity that comes with the current public drivers. “The STM drivers know us, and they care. With privatization, there’s no guarantee that level of service continues,” Analytis said. In other cities where adapted transport has been privatized, riders have reported missed pickups, late arrivals, and confusion over who is responsible when things go wrong. Some have even struggled to get to work or school on time, or access essential medical care.

Determined to protect adapted public transit, Analytis has taken matters into his own hands, focusing his efforts across the West Island. He has collected more than 2,400 signatures personally, adding to over 14,000 gathered citywide in a petition calling for the STM to keep paratransit public. The petition is formally addressed to a wide range of officials and leaders:

Christine Fréchette, Quebec Minister of Immigration, Francization and Integration, Geneviève Guilbault, Quebec Deputy Premier and Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Christian Dubé, Quebec Minister of Health and Social Services, Lionel Carmant, Quebec Minister Responsible for Social Services, Suzanne Roy, Quebec Minister of Municipal Affairs, Chantal Rouleau, Quebec Minister Responsible for Social Solidarity and Community Action, Maïté Claude Léonard, Chief Executive Officer of STM, Benoît Gendron, Director General of the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM), Sonia Bélanger, Quebec Minister Responsible for Seniors, Éric Alan Caldwell, Chair, STM Board of Directors, Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montreal

The petition’s message is simple but urgent: privatization would undermine a service that thousands depend on for independence and dignity. Its signatories are asking city and provincial leaders, as well as STM management, not to abandon people living with mobility challenges. They highlight that the public system provides safe, reliable, and compassionate service—qualities they fear will be lost if profit becomes the priority.

Protests and public meetings have already taken place, with community members voicing their concerns about access, affordability, and respect. Analytis plans to keep collecting signatures and raising awareness. For him, the fight to keep STM’s adapted transport public is about more than just getting from one place to another—it’s about the right to participate fully and independently in the life of the city. n