STS drivers slammed at Council meeting
ASherbrooke citizen lashed out at Société de Transport de Sherbrooke (STS) drivers Monday night, accusing them of making sudden turns and braking, speeding, and frequent confrontations between drivers and passengers. Bruno Falardeau made the claims against the drivers at City Hall during Monday’s Council meeting.
"I've been living in Sherbrooke for a year going to university,” Falardeau said, “And what really struck me is how the drivers drive. I do not like to generalize, but my general impression is that they drive very, very fast, and badly, braking suddenly, and making sharp turns. Often I see drivers talking on a cell phone with earphones on. It seems to me that the drivers don’t realize that they are moving humans and not merchandise,"
As an example, Falardeau cited a fender-bender he was involved in two weeks ago."two weeks ago: “We crashed into the back of a car on Bourque Blvd on route 18. The driver was clearly going too fast. It often happens that people get propelled from the front to the rear because of sudden braking. I was wondering about the trainings given to drivers on the customer service side. When I first arrived in Sherbrooke, it was the first time I had seen so many drivers talking with customers, being more or less courteous with customers."
Executive Chair Serge Paquin inquired whether Falardeau had made any direct complaints to the STS and was told that he had made complaints about delays, but for driving in general, I felt that the scope was large enough for him to come and talk directly to council.
"When there are cases, they are special cases and they are very rare. For the number of hours traveled per day compared to the number of vehicles on the road, we have a very small number of complaints,” said STS President Bruno Vachon. “We are not insensitive to that and when they happen, we invite people to file a complaint. There is a very tight control both on the part of management and the drivers. They know that with today's reality, we are being watched. They are concerned with protecting customers."
Vachon calls on those who witness improper situations to call the STS quickly and to provide the location and time of the incident. "If it's a case that often happens with the same employee, we can fix it. Be certain that complaints are received."
Vachon also says that all drivers received training last year as a result of incidents involving drunk students. "There are training courses for managing difficult situations and for approaching clients. We also have continuous training with technology. Last year, drivers were trained in customer relations to ensure that everyone was up to date. We put customer experience at the center of our action plan. It starts with the first person our users meet. We more often good receive comments about our drivers about how helpful and kind they are. They are aware."