Je suis convaincue que l'accès aux transports publics est un droit, non un privilège. Comme beaucoup d'entre nous, je paie mes passages de transport en commun quand je le peux, et quand je ne le peux pas, je ne paie pas. Nous sommes tous les jours des milliers à prendre le métro et le bus, et nous connaissons nos capacités et nos besoins. Nous ne voulons pas que nos taxes soient consacrées à la présence policière et aux sanctions qui, pour la plupart, touchent les plus vulnérables parmi nous.

En 2019, la société de transport de Montréal (STM) a rapporté un taux d'évasion tarifaire de 6,9%, soit environ 27 millions de Canadiens qui n'ont pas payé leurs passages. Ces 27 millions de passages sont potentiellement autant d'amendes infligées à des personnes qui ne peuvent tout simplement pas se permettre de payer. Nous réclamons la fin des amendes pour les abonnements de métro et de bus non payés. Faisons des transports publics sûrs, accessibles et abordables un droit, et non une source de stress et de sanction. Signez cette pétition pour soutenir ce changement nécessaire.

Backstory: This petition is advocating for the end of fines for unpaid metro and bus passes in Montreal and all around the world. Safe public transportation should be a right. We are smart enough to know our capacities and needs don’t want our tax dollars going to unnecessary police presence and punishments that can have violent outcomes. I was motivated to start this petition when I was told by a police officer in the metro station that I would receive a ticket for an unpaid fare even though I had a reasonable explanation for not paying and had tickets on my card (showed him I did by paying after he wouldn't let me pass even though he already decided to give the ticket and I offered to simply leave and walk home for 2 hours). These fines can go up to $500. It was my first time experiencing this because of the exceptional circumstances that led me to be disoriented and tired that day. Besides that, I have a disability that impacts my energy levels and general functioning: when I'm pushed passed my mental limits, I lack the capacity to sufficiently orient myself in space (process everything going on in my environment in a timely manner) and this can lead to some impulsive decisions that without the threat of violent police or another predator taking advantage of my vulnerability, don't put me or anyone else in danger. He also forced me to provide my address to him which made me feel uncomfortable and unsafe because of the things I've witnessed police do to people in their homes including what they've done to me in my home, the details of which I won't get into but it was because I made a call for assistance to cease a source of harassment which they did not address, feigned to want to help me and instead put me in a much worse situation. I know I'm not alone and this maltreatment happens too often. That is another issue that needs to dealt with but to return to the subject of fines in metro stations for unpaid fares, this is a complete waste of our personal and public resources and can have violent consequences to us as citizens both from the use of physical force by police and the consequences of monetary limitations on our day to day lives. It was June 11th 2025 when there was an STM strike taking place and transit hours were very limited. I was rushing to catch the train so I would be able to get home after a long day of work that would only pay for 20% of the full cost of these fines. I currently only have enough energy to work one day per week so these fines could set me back for more than a month of income. I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in a while and wanted to talk to her so I fell behind on time to catch the last train and didn't know if I would make it. I already lost an hour of pay at work and had to wake up earlier to accommodate the reduced transit schedule. My employer refused to pay me for coming in early even though I was willing to start early. I didn't see the police standing there when I went through the ticket machine with someone else because I saw the train arrive and was just focused on catching it in time. I fully support the strike and this is in no way a complaint of it. I would rather all the money being spent on these STM police go to STM transit workers instead. Without a doubt, that would be a better use of our public and human resources and these police should be given purposeful duties and proper training rather than stand around (in groups!) bullying low income, unhoused and poor people and people actively working to make this world better without any or insufficient funding from an outside source. Something else that happened to me that day was I invited a disabled low-income friend over to eat dinner with me but she couldn't come because she couldn't afford a transit fare. The threat of these fines are preventing us from living our lives and taking care of one another. If this story resonates with you, please support this petition by signing and spreading the word.