Valérie Plante hopes that other cities or governments will take inspiration from Montreal to offer free public transit to seniors.

The mayor expressed this wish on Wednesday, announcing that Montrealers aged 65 and over can now go to a metro ticket office to obtain their free pass. This will only be valid in July.

“We consider that this is a measure that is structuring and that will pay off in the long term and even in the medium term,” she said in a press briefing. “Do I invite my other colleagues to do the same? I want to say yes. But at the same time, I am very aware that it is not necessarily easy financially for other cities, depending on their budget, the traffic or the maintenance of their network. »

“I especially want to tell you that there are quite a few transport companies who would be ready to do like us if there was a real reflection underway on: how do we maintain the network? How do we want to develop it in the long term? What are the funding sources that can support a measure like this? »

Free admission for seniors will only apply to residents of the Montreal agglomeration (including demerged cities) and only for trips beginning and ending in the Montreal agglomeration.