MONTREAL — The City of Montreal says that public transit trips increased by 15 to 20% among people aged 65 and over during the six months following the free service for Montreal seniors.
The program, which came into effect on July 1 of last year, offers residents aged 65 or over a free fare for public transit travel in the city of Montreal and its suburbs.
The half-year results were published in a 2025 budget planning document that the city released on Tuesday.
Montreal also reports that 47% of eligible residents had registered in the program by the end of 2023.
“The measure therefore allowed both savings and increased mobility for people aged 65 and over,” we can read in the document.
First announced towards the end of 2022, the program allows residents of the Montreal agglomeration aged 65 or over to use the metro, buses, commuter trains and light rail trains for free in the area. jurisdiction. Paratransit, or specialized transportation for people with disabilities, is also free for program beneficiaries.
Montreal dedicated $24 million to this initiative in its 2023 budget and reserved an additional $34.3 million to continue it in 2024. During the same period, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), in financial difficulty, cut nearly $140 million from its own budget.
But several subway riders said Saturday that the program has a host of benefits for seniors.
“I think that for people who have low income, it’s a way to break isolation, to get out,” said Huguette Bergeron, 74, outside the Place-d’Armes metro station. .
Anne Chenot, 70, considers this program a “small compensation” for high local taxes.
Both women said they were taking advantage of the offer even though they could have afforded the regular monthly rate of $97. They hope to see similar programs targeting residents who could benefit from financial aid, such as students.
Robert Martin said the program’s broad eligibility criteria likely boosted participation. A program that limited eligibility based on income, he argued, could create barriers for potential participants who would have to prove their financial status.
Mr. Martin plans to register for the free rate when he turns 65 next March. Having never owned a car, he hopes the program will increase his mobility.
“Does everyone need it? I’m not sure, he said. But it’s easier for (the city) than just asking for proof that you’re, say, poor or middle class.”
