Bus drivers want more realistic schedules

The union representing Montreal bus drivers says they sometimes have to drive over the speed limit to finish their routes on time.

Schedules set by the Société de transport de Montréal are unrealistic, said union president Renato Carlone.

“Everybody’s late,” said Carlone, president of the Syndicat des chauffeurs d’autobus, opérateurs de métro et employés des services connexes. He said traffic and construction aren’t to blame for most late buses — poorly planned bus routes are the culprit. “When there’s no traffic, no accidents, no construction and you get there late — this is our issue. It’s been going on for years and it’s got to stop.”

When bus drivers finish their route late, they must begin their next route immediately, he said.

If (the STM) fixed the times on the lines, these bus drivers would stay healthier.

That can mean the drivers start their next route already behind schedule, and they don’t get a break before starting the next route.

Sometimes, Carlone said, drivers are forced to go well over the speed limit to finish their routes on time.

Frustrated passengers have taken to spitting on drivers and swearing at them, and there have been cases of physical aggression against drivers who are late, Carlone said.

“You have two choices: go a little faster — take a chance to risk tickets and accidents, so you’re not insulted — or follow the speed limit and guarantee that you’ll be verbally attacked,” he said.

Carlone said the “unrealistic routes” are contributing to drivers taking more sick days. “If (the STM) fixed the times on the lines, these bus drivers would stay healthier and be more present at work.”

The 4,500 members of the union voted for a strike mandate on May 3. As a pressure tactic, they ’ve been refusing to wear uniforms since then.

Luc Tremblay, the director general of the STM, asked the union to be patient with its demands about schedules and flexible in ongoing contract negotiations. “We understand their message; we agree and we’re working on it. But it takes time,” he said Friday.

According to Michel Tremblay, director of planning and development of networks for the STM, the agency is asking for driver input in re-configuring the bus network so that it better meets the needs of drivers and passengers. He said the entire bus network is overhauled every 18 months.