Wheelchair users seeking approval for $1.5B lawsuit against STM, AMT

CTV Montreal: Transit lawsuit A group representing Montrealers with disabilities is fighting to launch a class-action lawsuit to improve access to public transit.

A group representing Montrealers with disabilities is fighting to launch a class-action lawsuit to improve public transit.

RAPLIQ has been demanding better transit service for people with disabilities for many years without much success.

“We're fed up of filing complaints all the time at human rights commission so you know it was case by case so at some point we really thought it was time for a class action,” said Linda Gauthier of RAPLIQ and the plaintiff.

Now the group is seeking approval to begin a class action lawsuit against the city and the city's public transit agencies, STM and AMT.

RAPLIQ maintains the services remain largely inaccessible to the 20,000 citizens with limited mobility.

“The Opus card, it's the same price for us, but we don't have the same services,” said Gauthier.

Lawyer Gilles Gareau said the suit is seeking $1.5 billion: $50,000 per individual in moral damages, with another $25,000 for punitive damages.

But the group's main goal is for the metro and other transit systems to be fully accessible, without waiting 20 years for elevators to be installed in every station.

"If you look at Toronto, Toronto's going to be accessible by 2020. That's four years from now. And in terms of comparisons in terms of metros, Toronto's a good example. So it's possible to make these stations accessible," said Gareau. “It's a question of discrimination in terms of accessibility. It's really not rocket science.”

Ten of the 68 metro stations operated by the STM are accessible by elevator.

This week work finished at Snowdon metro station, one of three stations that are supposed to have elevator access completed by the end of 2016.

The STM, AMT and lawyers for the city of Montreal have refused to comment.

They argued in court Tuesday they should be allowed to provide some proof to the judge for consideration that counters RAPLIQ's claims.

The authorization hearings continue Wednesday.