Ensemble Montréal Pushes to Expand Dog Access to STM Bus Network

After successfully allowing dogs in the metro, Ensemble Montréal is now proposing to make room for dogs on Société de transport de Montréal (STM) buses – a measure also advocated by the Montreal SPCA. The party, which forms the Official Opposition at City Hall, aims to go further by offering even more flexibility to citizens and their companions in their daily travels. 

“The coexistence between users and their dogs is going wonderfully in the metro. However, many Montrealers don’t have the good fortune to live near a station or must take the bus to complete their journey. Our goal is to offer them the same flexibility and make public transportation more accessible and pleasant for everyone,” declares Aref Salem, leader of the Official Opposition at Montreal City Hall. 

Ensemble Montréal proposes applying the same rules that have proven successful in the metro to the bus network. A survey conducted in September 2023 among STM users via the “Ma voix ma STM” panel following the pilot project revealed that 70% of respondents were in favor of having leashed and muzzled dogs in the metro. 

It is worth noting that several major cities worldwide – such as Copenhagen, London, Boston, Lyon, Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, and Helsinki, as well as Canadian cities like Toronto and Calgary – allow dogs on their bus networks. 

The Official Opposition will present a motion to this effect, which will be debated at the next city council meeting on March 17 and 18.