Students are going back to school and workers are heading back to the office after six long months of confinement in Montreal and some are understandably worried about their safety while taking public transit. The folks over at the STM have heard your concerns and are taking to social media and the streets to share a "message of confidence" for everyone that's going back to school or work this week.
Bus and metro riders will "have to adapt to a new reality and their travel route, from planning to getting to their destination and back," according to a statement by the STM.
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"The changes made are intended to help [clients] get around safely by bus, metro and paratransit despite the context of the pandemic. The STM would therefore like to remind them that they can get on board with confidence."
The STM's new ad campaign will gradually start appearing all over town this week.
The campaign includes social media posts, billboard advertising, TV and radio spots, and even a huge mail-in campaign sent to over 500,000 households with "the main target being inactive customers who have not used STM services for several months because of the containment measures."
With "simple and positive" messages, the STM is reminding all customers that surfaces in buildings and vehicles are disinfected almost daily, that over 300 hand sanitizer dispensers have been installed, and that you can now buy your tickets in advance at over 400 points of sale.
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Furthermore, the STM is using this campaign to bring awareness to the return of its travel support teams at the busiest metro stations.
"It should be remembered that in the buses, front boarding and the return of the fare collection system were re-introduced on all lines on August 6," said the STM.
"On the metro, the deployment of new signage elements designed to encourage compliance with the instructions on physical distance and the fluidity of journeys is continuing."
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The STM will also continue giving out thousands of masks.
"The most recent data also show a 97% adherence rate for this measure in the metro network and 99% in the bus network," the transit company says.
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Be on the lookout for the STM's positive messages on a bus, bus stop, or metro near you!