Front-door boarding and fare collection spell gradual return to normal

LAVAL, QC, July 17, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - The Société de transport de Laval wishes to inform users that effective August 1, and gradually, it will begin reinstating front-door boarding on buses, and by extension, collecting and validating fares.

Making sure buses are safe: our pledge, your duties
Starting August 1, 2020, most of our buses will be outfitted with a protective shield around the driver area of the vehicle. Made of translucent polycarbonate, the shield will allow for maximum visibility while protecting both drivers and passengers.

A quote from STL general director Guy Picard
"The safety of our drivers and that of our passengers are a priority at the STL. We feel that with the measures we've introduced in recent weeks, such as the polycarbonate shields, a buffer zone around the driver area, the mandatory use of masks, users will be able to safely resume boarding the bus from the front."

Fare collection resumes
Front-door boarding also means that fare boxes will once again become available to users. Users will therefore be able to validate their fare upon boarding, as usual. We wish to reiterate that users are required to have a valid fare on them at all times while using our buses. One-way fares are also back, payable in cash or via credit card.

In order to foster compliance with public health recommendations and social distancing rules, we are urging users to purchase their fare in advance at our 40 different locations:

• August STL monthly passes on sale as of July 20 at all our points of sale
• August TRAM passes already on sale at the metropolitan ticket offices, and as of July 20 at the other points of sale

We also wish to remind public transit users that masks are mandatory on our buses at all times, as well as around our terminals. The digital display at the front of the bus will run messages reminding users about wearing their mask on board and the gradual return of front-door boarding.

For a complete rundown of the measures in place, visit bit.ly/STL-COVID19.

About the Société de transport de Laval (STL)
The STL develops and operates an integrated network consisting of buses, school transport, shared taxis, and paratransit transport, which together combine for 19 million trips per year. The STL's regular bus network consists of 46 routes, some 2,700 stops and covers over 1,400 kilometres across the Laval territory. The STL is recognized among the most innovative public transit authorities in North America. www.stl.laval.qc.ca.

SOURCE Société de transport de Laval