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Citing \u201cundesirable behaviour,\u201d Montreal\u2019s public transit authority is indefinitely closing three Metro station entrances to \u201censure the sense of safety for both customers and employees.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a news release Wednesday, the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 de transport de Montr\u00e9al (STM) says it closed the north entrance of De Castelnau station, the de Maisonneuve entrance of McGill station and the Belmont entrance of Square-Victoria-OACI station.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe issues identified in these sectors relate to cleanliness, loitering, incivilities and drug use,\u201d the statement says.<\/p>\n
By reducing the available space, the STM says it can concentrate its cleaning and security resources on smaller areas to improve operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAs the reduction of spaces proved effective last winter, we believe it is appropriate to reinstate the measure this year,\u201d the statement says. That\u2019s when the agency reduced space in nine Metro stations for about a month and a half to discourage people from lingering<\/a>. That included closing four entrances.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is worth noting that over the past few years, the months of March and April have been more prone to undesirable behaviour within the network,\u201d the statement says. <\/p>\n \u201cThis decision is therefore part of a preventive approach aimed at maintaining a safe and controlled environment.\u201d<\/p>\n On the frontlines of a social crisis<\/p>\n Andrew Marrocco is the executive director of the St. Michael\u2019s Mission, a downtown homeless shelter. He said the STM is a proactive and collaborative partner of the community sector. <\/p>\n The transit authority is on the frontlines of an ongoing social crisis that lacks the needed prevention services that reaches people before they end up in difficult situations, he said.<\/p>\n “Quite frankly, the STM goes above and beyond what should be expected of a transport service,” he said. <\/p>\n \u201cWhat we should really be doing as a society is focusing on better supporting our vulnerable populations and preventing the problems we\u2019re having now from exacerbating even further.”<\/p>\n Kevin Grenier, who heads the STM special constables\u2019 union, said three-quarters of employees say they are afraid when they work. He says the Metro is becoming a more dangerous space, threatening the safety of their members and transit users.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n