Transit riders in Laval and Longueuil will be able to save a few bucks on their trips to Montreal this fall.

When the Montreal area completed its transition to a new transit fare schedule in July, Lavallois.es and Longueuillois.es saw price increases on tickets to Montreal. Since July 1, someone trying to get to Montreal by metro or bus from Laval or Longueuil has had to dish out $5.25 for a one-trip ticket, $10 for a two-trip ticket or $45 for a 10-trip ticket.

Now, the regional transit authority is walking back the measure, reducing the price of all-mode (metro, bus, exo train and REM) one-trip, two-trip and 10-trip tickets for travel between zones A (the Agglomeration of Montreal) and B (Laval and the Agglomeration of Longueuil).

As of October 1, they'll cost $4.50, $9 and $42.50, respectively.

The reduction won't last forever, though. The ARTM plans to transition back to the full fare in 2025.

But officials hope the measure will ease the strain on occasional inter-zone transit users, who the ARTM suggests are increasing in number post-pandemic.

"We can see that the demand for travel is increasingly moving away from the metro-work-sleep mode, with more atypical and occasional trips," ARTM Director-General Benoît Gendron said in a press release.

"We are also seeing the return of car congestion episodes in force. With this measure, we are making it easier to take occasional trips by public transit between the two central zones in a more difficult mobility context."

Longueuil Mayor Catherine Fournier and Laval Mayor Stéphane Boyer praised the move, saying it will make transit more accessible for residents of Montreal's largest suburbs.