Montreal’s public transit system is at its breaking point. Ongoing weather and power disruptions to the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) light-rail network, budgetary challenges within the Societé de Transport de Montréal (STM), and most recently, the looming threat of privatization of essential transit services have left users and workers frustrated. Recent plans to outsource STM’s paratransit minibus system are the catalyst for fierce opposition from union members and riders who argue that privatization will increase costs and reduce service quality for those who rely on accessible transportation.
With public transit funding stagnating and private interests creeping into essential services, Montreal must make a choice: Invest in a robust, publicly-controlled transit system, or risk an unreliable, inequitable future shaped by corporate priorities. The need for sustainable public investment has never been more urgent.
Public transit is more than a convenience: It is a fundamental service that ensures mobility, equity, and accessibility in urban centres like Montreal. Paratransit, a door-to-door public transit service for people with disabilities, is particularly a lifeline for many residents such as seniors and people who use mobility aids and cannot access standard bus and metro services. The ability they provide to move freely, easily, and safely within communities offers numerous benefits. Paratransit provides wider access to services and employment opportunities, while also playing a crucial role in combating social isolation, especially among the elderly.
Currently, over 12,000 people rely on paratransit daily. Although taxis—which make up 90 per cent of paratransit trips—are already privatized, the STM’s decision to outsource a portion of its publicly-operated minibuses marks a dangerous shift toward deeper privatization. The STM has framed this move as a cost-cutting measure, but privatization in public transit has historically led to diminished service, higher costs for customers, and reduced accountability of the companies who own the transit services.
Beyond immediate accessibility concerns, this decision reflects a broader trend: When public services are privatized, they cease to be goods accessible to all. Private companies are not accountable to residents in the same way that tax-funded institutions are, giving them the opportunity to prioritize profit over community needs.
Meanwhile, 2,400 STM maintenance workers have overwhelmingly voted in favour of a strike mandate, signalling deep unrest over the direction of transit funding and labour conditions. Workers have repeatedly raised alarm bells about the consequences of increased subcontracting—when jobs are outsourced, employees lose union protections, wages stagnate, and working conditions deteriorate. Accessibility is not just about transit users, but about workers’ rights. Poor working conditions disproportionately impact employees with disabilities, mental health concerns, or other barriers to employment. If transit jobs become precarious, who will ensure the transit system runs efficiently, safely, and reliably? As such, even small acts of privatization can have a far-reaching and detrimental ripple effect for workers and customers alike.
Additionally, given the incompatibility of sustainability with financial profit under capitalism, private companies unfortunately have little incentive to invest in green transit solutions. Without aggressive public investment, Montreal risks entrenching an environmentally unfriendly dependency on cars—which are themselves inaccessible to many due to disabilities or expense—instead of advancing sustainable, collective transportation solutions.
Montrealers, too, must take an active role in supporting and advocating for public transit. The government needs to see that there is a demand for well-funded, publicly-operated transportation. Consumer power matters—if we want strong public transit, we need to use it, support it, and defend it against privatization.
Students, in particular, have a responsibility to push back against transportation’s privatization. If you can afford a transit pass, pay for it—fare evasion only weakens the system. In addition, McGill itself must explore ways to subsidize or provide free transit passes, a practice that many other universities have already adopted. This would not only ease financial burdens on students and faculty but encourage more people to rely on public transport over cars.
Public transportation is a public good. Without proper investment and protection from privatization, corporate profit motives threaten this right to accessibility. The government must be held accountable, and we must continue to demand a transportation system that works for everyone.
