qUBERc? Quebec launches carpool app for drivers, passengers in Greater Montreal Area

Quebec government creating carpooling app The app is the transport ministry's latest effort to reduce traffic on the roads.

As construction continues in and on the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel between Montreal and the south shore in addition to multiple other construction projects causing traffic to back up in the region, Quebec is launching an Uber-like carpool app to improve traffic issues.

The beta version of the Covoiturage ARTM app is now available for Android and iOS users in the greater Montreal region.

The regional transport authority (ARTM) hopes the app will provide a carpooling option for Highway 25 and the La Fontaine tunnel but also other congested areas in and around Montreal.

"This is an option that is being added to optimize travel efficiency," said ARTM director general Benoit Gendron in a news release. "There are additional financial incentives for drivers crossing on one of the four inter-river links while the major tunnel rehabilitation is taking place... The application will make it possible to efficiently match drivers and passengers."

Passengers pay 12 cents per kilometre.

Drivers get paid between 10 and 54 cents per kilometre depending on the number of passengers aboard and whether you cross one of the four river crossings: The La Fontaine Tunnel, Jacques Cartier Bridge, Victoria Bridge or the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge.

Gendron said the project is part of the ARTM's Digital Mobility Program aimed at investigating carpool opportunities and sustainable mobility services.

In 2024, the ARTM plans to make it possible to recharge OPUS public transit cards via a smartphone.