The Montreal public transit authority (Société de transport de Montréal - STM) has been ordered to pay a Montreal man more than $2,000 after a court found that a bus driver failed to pick him up. In a judgment rendered by the Small Claims Division at the Court of Quebec, the court concluded that the transportation agency failed to meet its legal obligations to riders under the Civil Code of Quebec. In August 2024, Jean-Pierre Lussier was waiting for the bus at the corner of Queen-Mary Road and Trans-Island Avenue in Snowdon when the driver drove past him without stopping. Court documents reveal the STM driver testified that the 78-year-old was not at the stop at the right time. The driver added that they noticed someone running, but it was too late and unsafe to stop. Lussier, however, presented video evidence which showed he was already at the bus stop and even raised his hand to get the driver’s attention. The court accepted his version of events. Prior to filing the claim, Lussier filed two complaints to the STM, both of which were rejected. CTV News was unable to reach Lussier. In an email statement, a spokesperson for STM wrote, “We disagree with the application of certain legal principles in this decision, particularly regarding the transport contract, which in fact comes into existence only at the moment of boarding and not at the time of purchasing the fare.” That said, the STM will comply with the judgment.
