Montreal public transit will be free for seniors starting July 1

Seniors to ride Montreal public transit for free Starting July 1, all public transit on the Island of Montreal will be free for everyone 65 and older.

Montreal residents 65 and older will be able to ride the bus and metro for free starting July 1.

Paratransit, commuter trains and the REM are also included in this initiative.

"The elders have mobility needs, and they rely on the STM to get around," said STM chairperson Eric Alan Caldwell.

Those living outside of Montreal will not benefit from this change.

This new measure applies to the island of Montreal and what is referred to as Zone A within the STM.

"We need to look forward on how to optimize, but we also need to look at what kind of measures can bring more people in our network like it was before the pandemic," Mayor Valerie Plante said.

Montreal will set aside $40 million in next year's budget to finance this new offer.

To ride on the bus and metro for free, seniors must prove their age and have an OPUS card. A free 65+ fare must be loaded onto the OPUS card, which can be done at any metro station.