My Alerts
Post-payment fare control
Proof of fare payment is obligatory
in the STM’s regular network
Montréal, November 26, 2009 – The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) would like to remind its clients that only OPUS cards and magnetic cards are accepted in the STM’s network. Since May, inspectors in the surveillance department have been making clients aware that they must pay their fare each time they get on a bus or the métro. To be considered valid, the fare must be able to be read by the scanning equipment. In addition, as the magnetic card serves as both a transfer and proof of payment, clients must keep it for the duration of the trip. If they are subject to a fare control check, they will thus be able to prove that they have definitely paid their fare. The same applies for clients using an OPUS card. The fare control concept is relatively new at the STM, but it has existed for several years elsewhere in the world. Clients must, on request, allow an STM inspector to verify not only that they have paid their fare, but also that the fare is valid and that the fare format being used is the correct one. Clients not in compliance could be subject to a fine of up to $500. All regular-fare passengers must have their OPUS card, loaded with an appropriate fare, or a magnetic card, both of which serve as a transfer and as proof of payment. As for those benefiting from a reduced fare, they must always have their photo ID OPUS card with them. The transition to the new system, which was launched on April 21, 2008, and implemented gradually since, has gone very well. There are now more than a million OPUS cardholders, and a recent study indicates a 90% satisfaction rate with this new system. – 30 –
