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COVID-19– Gradual resumption of activities

LAST UPDATE:

Quebec-Ontario border closure effective April 19
 
Further to the Government of Ontario's announcement, effective April 19, checkpoints will be set up to control the border. STO buses will be able to cross the bridges, but police may board to validate the nature of riders' trips. If a trip is deemed unjustified, the rider may be asked to disembark.
Thank you for your continued compliance with the public health authorities' instructions.

RED ZONE: Wear your mask

  • throughout your trip;
  • in all of our buses;
  • in our paratransit vehicles, including taxis that fill in for us;
  • in closed waiting areas along the Rapibus corridor; and
  • in our service points.

Exemptions

  • Riders aged 9 years and under not required to wear a face covering.
  • If you are unable to wear a face covering for medical reasons, let the driver know and you will be allowed on board.

 

 

 

Proper use of face coverings

  • Your face covering must cover your nose and mouth.

Enforcement

  • If a customer boards the bus without a face covering, the driver will remind the person of the requirement. If that customer still refuses to wear a face covering, the driver will drive on to avoid penalizing the other riders and to avoid a confrontation. An inspector will be called to follow up along the route.

  • Inspectors have been deployed throughout the STO system to raise awareness among customers about the mandatory use of face coverings, to conduct checks and to intervene as required.

  • When problems arise, STO inspectors will contact Gatineau police.

Plan your trips to get to a vaccination site in Gatineau

The bus is an efficient and safe way to get to either of the two vaccination centres in Gatineau. Use Plani-bus to plan your trip from home, work or a park-and-ride to either the Palais des Congrès de Gatineau or the Centre commautaire de Buckingham (181 Joseph).

  • A number of tools are available to help you stay informed during your trips: find out more here!

Customers who are already signed up for paratransit should call 819-773-2222. For additional information, visit the paratransit section.

Board of Directors during the COVID-19 pandemic

The next Board of Directors meeting will take place at 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 29. In view of the government's guidelines, the public will not be able to attend in person. We ask that you submit your questions in writing by e-mail to questionCA@sto.ca  by 3 p.m. on the day of the meeting, and we will follow up at our end.

Meeting agenda to come.

The Chair's speech and the press briefing will be filmed and posted online the day after the Board of Directors meeting.

The Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) is taking this public health issue very seriously because we are committed to the well-being and health of our riders and employees. We are in contact with the public health authorities and monitoring the situation closely.

We will keep introducing measures to protect our staff and customers. We will keep you informed about the latest developments. We are looking ahead.

If you have any questions about the STO's services, please call 819-770-3242.

Iin addition to the measures introduced by the STO, everyone must do their share in terms of: 

Board and pay at the front.

To protect the drivers, a protective shield around their work area is installed.

This is how you do it:

  • board through the front door;
  • pay your fare;
  • use the Multi card to limit contacts, although cash ($4) and tickets are accepted;
  • disembark at the back to avoid riders passing by each other; and
  • open the rear doors without touching them by simply passing your hand between the vertical handles.

Limit contacts. Pay with a card.

Get a Multi card

Use your personalized or non-personalized Multi card to limit contact.

There are two (2) ways to get it:

  • non-personalized Multi cards are available at most of the 50 STO sales points through the city.
  • Personalized Multi cards and all other fares are available at our four (4) STO service points.

Recharging your Multi card

There are three (3) ways to recharge your Multi card:

  1. at one of the 50 sales points close to you
  2. at one of the four (4) STO service points
  3. online! Remember that it is important to recharge online 48 hours before your next trip. This is how long it takes to activate your pass.

Travel together safely

Wearing a mask throughout your trip is mandatory for users aged 10 years hold and more.

Effective immediately, face coverings are also mandatory in closed waiting areas along the Rapibus corridor and in our service points.

As you know, a face covering does not provide total protection against the virus. It serves as an additional precautionary option in public places, and must be accompanied by other preventive measures, as follows:

  • frequent hand washing,
  • avoiding touching your face, and
  • coughing or sneezing into the crook of your arm.

Anyone who is sick or has symptoms should stay at home.

Other sources of information:

 

Our actions to make the transit system safe for everyone

The driver's cab is protected by a transparent shield.

Every bus is disinfected every 24 hours:

  • handrails
  • straps
  • grab rails on seats
  • fare box and validator
  • driver's cab
  • all frequent contact surfaces

At the service points:

  • use of a disinfectant product is mandatory before stepping up to the counter,
  • wait lines and markings are designed to maintain two-metre physical distancing,
  • credit or debit card payment preferred,
  • no-contract recharging of the Multi card, and
  • plexiglass shields installed.

It's safe to ride together.

As the situation evolves, STO adapts its service

In accordance with the government's directives, STO continues to offer its current services, including between 9:30 p.m. and 5 a.m. for essential trips.

Spring service will come into effect on March 29. A number of bus routes will resume. 

STO is monitoring the situation closely, and will be adding to the currently planned services on the busier routes to avoid overcrowding.

If there are already too many riders on board, the driver may not stop in order to remain within the recommended number of passengers. Whenever possible, the dispatcher will make sure that another vehicle is added to pick up the waiting customers.

Be in the know with our info tools

Subscribe to Info system alerts, and receive information about your route by e-mail or text message while you are in transit. For additional information, click here.

Follow us on our Twitter @STO_direct account

Download the Transit app on your mobile to receive information in REAL TIME during your trip.

Use Infobus and receive the next 2 stop times at your bus stop:

  • by text message 819778, entering the stop number in the message;
  • through the sto.ca mobile site; or
  • by calling 819-778-5555.

If you have any questions, call Customer Relations, at 819 770-3242.

Paratransit Service implemented measures

To protect the more vulnerable clientele, here are the preventive measures implemented:

  • Immunocompromised customers, i.e. hemodialysis and oncology, are not paired with other passengers;
  • A maximum of three customers can travel together on the same minibus (with the exception of people all coming from the same residence);
  • Taxi trips are reserved for one passenger at a time (with the exception of people all from the same residence);
  • No travel to screening centers is provided by the Adapted Transport Service since it is the CISSSO that takes over at this level;
  • All contact points for customers and drivers are cleaned on a daily basis.

Wearing a mask is now mandatory durnig all your trip. All users aged 10 years hold and more should wear it on their mouth and chin. The recommended hygiene measures must also be respected.

Depending on the evolution of the situation and the recommendations of the National Institute of Public Health, the current measures may change

If you have any questions, please contact us at 819-773-2222.

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2012 Société de transport de l'Outaouais. All rights reserved. The information and data on this site may not be used for business purposes or financial gain without authorization from the STO.