The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) is looking for a software solution to better manage the running of its buses when they are under maintenance. This avenue had been mentioned in performance audits commissioned by Quebec to generate savings.
Published at 6:00 a.m.
In a call for tenders submitted in recent weeks, the Montreal carrier makes the following observation: the daily management of buses, from their arrival at the transport center until their departure into operation, “includes several manual activities which take a lot of time time and effort.”
Result: the systems in place create “non-optimal mileage use of buses which increases preventive maintenance costs as well as premature wear and tear of buses”, we can read there.
All this comes after the production, last November, of performance audits of the 10 major transportation companies in Quebec, ordered by Geneviève Guilbault, the Minister of Transport. According to this report, Quebec transport companies could reduce their expenses by almost $350 million.
One of the avenues mentioned in these audits was to reduce or review the management of the number of vehicles in preventive maintenance or in reserve, to maximize the number of buses in circulation.
Quebec then aimed to reduce the rate of vehicles in reserve by 20%, to free up some $47 million.
A “bus depot management solution”, as the STM calls it, would ensure “efficient and predictable management of bus parking in transport centers when they are assigned to maintenance work and determine their assignment back on the road.”
Complex, electrification
In recent years, the arrival of electrification of the bus fleet has “added complexity to bus parking scenarios between their time of service and maintenance,” says a spokesperson for the carrier. , Laurence Houde-Roy.
The proliferation of vehicles of this type – the STM is still pursuing the objective of a 100% electric network in 2040 – imposes “a series of additional operational criteria, in particular longer recharging than conventional bus refueling and longer refueling frequent use of auxiliary heating”, continues Mme Houde-Roy.
A DMS system would essentially computerize the allocation of the correct parking lanes to drivers based on fueling, maintenance and mileage management needs.
It would also affect buses ready to return to the road according to specific criteria, including the autonomy of the buses.
“The arrival of technology will certainly help our performance by improving the efficiency of the bus assignment process and the work of employees, and thus, will allow budgetary efficiency. However, it is not possible to predict a precise amount of savings at the moment,” adds the spokesperson.
It is also unclear how much the development of such a system would cost, with the company not wanting to come forward to avoid influencing the market during the call for tenders.
In May, a study by the International Public Transport Association argued that large-scale bus electrification “does not[était] not feasible without new IT systems.” “From load planning to load management and integration with existing IT infrastructure, electrification involves big changes,” argued the organization.
New realities
More generally, the arrival of electrification means new realities for STM maintenance employees, points out transport planning expert at the University of Montreal Pierre Barrieau.
Over time, it is no longer just the buses stopped for repairs that we will have to manage, it is also the buses stopped for electric charging. That means a whole reorganization of routines.
Pierre Barrieau, transport planning expert at the University of Montreal
His words echo those made by maintenance technicians in 2023, when The Press had visited the Crémazie workshop, where dozens of workers keep the buses in good health every day.
“For us, [l’électrification]it’s going to be a complete change, both in terms of our operations and the health and safety of our world. We are going to be one of the largest electric fleets in Quebec,” explained maintenance engineering technician Stéphane Gauthier.
The arrival of DMS software is therefore “more than necessary,” says Mr. Barrieau. “This solution would be able to predict repairs to be made, order parts and prioritize buses that are still in good condition. The technology is even capable of estimating repair times. This can prevent risks of shortages or service disruptions,” he concludes.
