The History of RUTA

The RUTA Montreal began in 1979 as an initiative put forth by a group of handicapped people who were dedicated to the creation of a form of public transportation for individuals with special needs. This non-profit organization was made official in 1980. Its foremost mission is to ensure that every person with a disability is given the right and access to the proper form of public transportation. Montreal's RUTA organization deals with unique situations occurring between transport users and those involved with decision-making and the administration of public transportation.

  Some Notable Achievements of RUTA Montreal

-1983: Creation of the transport collective of groups concerned with the problems surrounding the transportation of handicapped people. This open discussion group continues to be active and today is comprised of nearly forty different organizations.

-1983: Creation of a consultation committee made up of representatives from the STCUM for adaptable transportation as well as representatives of public transit users whose mandate is to address different problematic situations faced by those who utilize the special needs transportation services. This committee continues to meet once a month and its official title is The Transport User-Transporter Committee.

-1993: Symposium for the Mentally Impaired Transport Service was a theme created to instruct the regular public transport network. Thanks to this symposium, the MTQ, the MSSS, the regional authorities, and the rehabilitation centers gave RUTA the permission to publish a training manual for employees of the transportation network, which focused on mentally impaired public transit users.
-1995: Participation in the development of a pilot project focused on examining accessibility to the out-of-town train service between Montreal and Deux-Montagnes in collaboration with the STCUM, the OPHQ and the MTQ.

-1995: Collaboration with the STCUM allows the induction of the first buses equipped with descending wheelchair ramps in circulation throughout the regular public transportation network.
-2000: A meeting at the headquarters for the Accessible Taxi Committee of the OPHQ takes place to assess the experiments surrounding this form of transportation.
-1995-2000: Creation of the Speech Impairment Committee formed to ensure that everyone concerned is properly served.

-2002: Headquarters of the Accessibility Committee of the MTQ meet to envision ways of improving accessibility to the Montreal subway system.

-2004: Bus drivers of the public transport service are given special training.

  Current Tasks:

Today, RUTA Montreal intervenes at several different levels, including:
-Aid in the creation of a transportation pass that would cover the metropolitan area.
-A solution to the needs of people with speech difficulties.
-Raising the awareness of STM employees in regard to people with special needs.
-Taking control of unique situations that arise in the area of special needs transportation.
-Managing emergency situations in adapted transportation environments within the subway or on buses.
-Managing the cancellation of adapted transportation services during extreme winter conditions.
-Managing snow-removal throughout the city of Montreal.
-The pedestrian charter and the transportation plan for the City of Montreal.
-Improving the services offered by accessible private taxis.
-Consulting on the transportation of elderly people.
-Reworking of the "To Equal Shares, Lift the Barriers" policy in regard to transportation in conjunction with the Office des personnes handicapées du Québec (OPHQ)