Montrealers using mobility aids are denied access on 33% of public buses equipped with access ramps
On August 22nd, six persons using wheelchairs and scooters evaluated the accessibility of Montréal buses and found that although 95% of the sixty-six buses on twenty-two bus routes tested had access ramps, they were able to obtain adequate service in only 36% of the cases. RAPLIQ regularly receives complaints about drivers who refused to let disabled riders board, forget to deploy ramps when individuals requiring them want to exit; drivers who refuse to let them board; or about equipment such as access ramps that does not function properly.
Major barriers to fair access included being completely denied access on 33% of buses, facing other major obstacles in another 31% of the cases (ramps that took an excessively long time to deploy (10 minutes or more), malfunctioning doors, irritated drivers when the use of the access ramp was required). In the end, we found that levels of service comparable to that received by the public at large were achieved in only 36% of the travel attempts. Please read our report for all the details (French only) (WORD format).
After a long day on Montréal buses, RAPLIQ gathered at the City Hall and brought forth our questions to the Tremblay administration during the first City council meeting of the season. We were at first shocked, then profoundly disappointed by the answers we were given by Marvin Rotrand, leader of the council and MTC vice-president. He claimed that there were no laws in Québec forcing the MTC to operate accessible buses. However, according to the bill 56 on the integration of people with disabilities into Québec society, public transit organizations have the obligation to take action to make their system accessible. He also asserted that access ramps were maintained and drivers were regularly trained on accessibility matters. However, MTC staff we talked to told us that access ramps were only checked once a year at the end of winter. Rotrand concluded by saying that he could not guarantee that every person using a mobility aid would be able to get on an accessible bus because of the technical difficulties of many access ramps. Most would agree that when you have a piece of equipment that does not work very reliably, it is essential to take care of it on a regular basis. Taking care of that equipment only once a year is simply ineffective.
Public organizations have the obligation to not discriminate against disability, yet non-functional ramps, as well as negative and discriminatory attitudes from drivers are still stopping people using mobility aids from travelling. Their right to access MTC buses is denied. No-one should remain housebound because they feel scared of their next bus trip, nor should people using mobility aids ever be forced to wait in the rain as bus after bus drives past. If Montréal buses are to serve all Montrealers, the Montréal transit commission needs to take accessibility much, much more seriously.
It is clear that the American Public Transit Association did not consider accessibility as an important criteria when it awarded the Montréal transit commission the prize of the outstanding public transportation system in 2010. Because of the poor accessibility of its Métro (7 stations out of 68!) and the major barriers to access buses, the Montréal transit commission is one of the most- if not ‘the most’- inaccessible transit systems in North America.
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I use a motorized wheelchair, and recently I have used the Metro–the stations with elevators, anyway–and low-floor buses to go to various places. So far, I haven’t had any problems with drivers refusing to lower the ramp. However, occasionally there have been problems when the bus is one of the old type with the ramp at the back. Sometimes the ramp sticks and the driver has to get it unstuck, either by using a tool or by just kicking it. Once or twice this has happened while I’m waiting to get off the bus!
I haven’t had any problems when the bus is the newer model with the ramp at the front, but on some routes (e.g. the 191 from Lionel-Groulx) it appears they still only use the buses with the access ramp at the back. Hopefully, the STM will upgrade it’s equipment at some point!