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COVID-19– Gradual resumption of activities

LAST UPDATE:
In accordance with the government's directives, the STO will continue to offer its current services for essential trips, even between 9:30 p.m. and 5 a.m.

 

 

ORANGE ZONE: Wear your mask

  • throughout your trip;
  • in all of our buses;
  • in our paratransit vehicles, including taxis that fill in for us;
  • in closed waiting areas along the Rapibus corridor; and
  • in our service points.

Exemptions

  • Riders aged 9 years and under not required to wear a face covering.
  • If you are unable to wear a face covering for medical reasons, let the driver know and you will be allowed on board.

Proper use of face coverings

  • Your face covering must cover your nose and mouth.

Enforcement

  • If a customer boards the bus without a face covering, the driver will remind the person of the requirement. If that customer still refuses to wear a face covering, the driver will drive on to avoid penalizing the other riders and to avoid a confrontation. An inspector will be called to follow up along the route.

  • Inspectors have been deployed throughout the STO system to raise awareness among customers about the mandatory use of face coverings, to conduct checks and to intervene as required.

  • When problems arise, STO inspectors will contact Gatineau police.

Board of Directors during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Board of Directors meeting will take place at 4 p.m. on Thursday, February 25. In view of the government's guidelines, the public will not be able to attend in person. We ask that you submit your questions in writing by e-mail to questionCA@sto.ca  by 3 p.m. on Thursday, and we will follow up at our end.

The Meeting agenda to come.

The Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) is taking this public health issue very seriously because we are committed to the well-being and health of our riders and employees. We are in contact with the public health authorities and monitoring the situation closely.

We will keep introducing measures to protect our staff and customers. We will keep you informed about the latest developments. We are looking ahead.

If you have any questions about the STO's services, please call 819-770-3242.

Iin addition to the measures introduced by the STO, everyone must do their share in terms of: 

Board and pay at the front.

To protect the drivers, a protective shield around their work area is installed.

This is how you do it:

  • board through the front door;
  • pay your fare;
  • use the Multi card to limit contacts, although cash and tickets are accepted;
  • disembark at the back to avoid riders passing by each other; and
  • open the rear doors without touching them by simply passing your hand between the vertical handles.

Limit contacts. Pay with a card.

 

Get a Multi card

Have your Multi card ready to limit contact.

There are two (2) ways to get a Multi card:

Recharging your Multi card

There are three (3) ways to recharge your Multi card:

  1. at one of the 50 sales points close to you
  2. at one of the four (4) STO service points
  3. online! Remember that it is important to recharge online 48 hours before your next trip. This is how long it takes to activate your pass.

Travel together safely

Wearing a mask throughout your trip is mandatory for users aged 10 years hold and more.

Effective immediately, face coverings are also mandatory in closed waiting areas along the Rapibus corridor and in our service points.

As you know, a face covering does not provide total protection against the virus. It serves as an additional precautionary option in public places, and must be accompanied by other preventive measures, as follows:

  • frequent hand washing,
  • avoiding touching your face, and
  • coughing or sneezing into the crook of your arm.

Anyone who is sick or has symptoms should stay at home.

Other sources of information:

 

Our actions to make the transit system safe for everyone

The driver's cab is protected by a transparent shield.

Every bus is disinfected every 24 hours:

  • handrails
  • straps
  • grab rails on seats
  • fare box and validator
  • driver's cab
  • all frequent contact surfaces

At the service points:

  • use of a disinfectant product is mandatory before stepping up to the counter,
  • wait lines and markings are designed to maintain two-metre physical distancing,
  • credit or debit card payment preferred,
  • no-contract recharging of the Multi card, and
  • plexiglass shields installed.

It's safe to ride together.

As the situation evolves, the STO adapts its service

Fall service will be in effect on August 24 and many bus routes resume. 

The STO is monitoring the situation closely, and will be adding to the services it is currently providing over the summer on the busier routes to limit as much as possible the number of riders on board.

If there are already too many riders on board, the driver may not stop in order to remain within the recommended number of passengers. In that case the driver will make sure that another vehicle is added to pick up the waiting customers.

Be in the know with our info tools

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Also, follow our Twitter @STO_direct account or download Transit app for iPhone or Android now.

To contact Customer Relations, call 819 770-3242.

Paratransit Service implemented measures

To protect the more vulnerable clientele, here are the preventive measures implemented:

  • Immunocompromised customers, i.e. hemodialysis and oncology, are not paired with other passengers;
  • A maximum of three customers can travel together on the same minibus (with the exception of people all coming from the same residence);
  • Taxi trips are reserved for one passenger at a time (with the exception of people all from the same residence);
  • No travel to screening centers is provided by the Adapted Transport Service since it is the CISSSO that takes over at this level;
  • All contact points for customers and drivers are cleaned on a daily basis.

Wearing a mask is now mandatory durnig all your trip. All users aged 10 years hold and more should wear it on their nose and mouth. The recommended hygiene measures must also be respected.

Depending on the evolution of the situation and the recommendations of the National Institute of Public Health, the current measures may change

If you have any questions, please contact us at 819-773-2222.

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