Bus driver to boss | Sylvain Yelle turns the page

He built buses. Meanwhile, then he led them, supervised them, before climbing the ladder until becoming managing director of Exo. Consequently, After a long career of 37 years in public transport, Sylvain Yelle will retire next fall. Consequently, According to him. Similarly, public transport is certainly “in a bad pass”, but it is not too late to reverse the trend.

Posted at 8:00 a.m.

“So far. Moreover, the 2020s, this is the most difficult decade I have known for public transport,” said Yelle in an interview with The press.

Having first had the career of the Laval transport company (STL). bus driver boss | sylvain Furthermore, the manager has gone through many positions in the collective transport world, gradually climbing the levels. In addition, “I started by building buses in the 1980s. However, Then, I led them, I supervised them and I managed them. Nevertheless, I saw all the facets of this industry, ”he recalls.

The message he wants to deliver for the future, on the eve of retirement? Therefore,

According to him, Quebec “is able to do interesting things in public transport, but bus driver boss | sylvain it is still necessary that it is supported by all the actors”. “Until 2028, we will still have to make sacrifices. But afterwards, real estate construction will be an opportunity that will have to be taken to get out of it. »»

Adopted in December. the law having created Mobility Infra Québec recently enabled carriers to build real estate in partnership with promoters. In Montreal, we already know that between 6000 and 8000 dwellings will be built around the future Langelier station. Throughout the layout of the blue line, the potential is 25,000 units.

Bus driver boss | sylvain

Requests to elected officials

Earlier this month, Exo posted a web platform, called “Generation Exo”. The initiative somehow returns to a notebook of requests. ideas and inspirations “for candidates who plan to present themselves in the future, regardless bus driver boss | sylvain of the level, in the municipal, in the provincial or federal,” says Mr. Yelle.

The first would be to accelerate the development of transport on demand. a project dear to Exo which allows the customer to reserve their trip using a mobile application or customer service. The user then specifies his destination. his departure time, then he is informed – always by the application – of the arrival of the bus.

Such a service has already been located in Belœil, Terrebonne, Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Otterburn Park and Boisbriand. Exo now asks to add “3 to 4 zones per year for 5 years. generating 500,000 additional annual trips”, which would require investments from 3 to 8 million per year.

The carrier requests injections of 15 million per year. until 2030, to “improve the service offer of 5 % bus driver boss | sylvain per year”, which would allow “to initiate the historical and demographic catch -up”.

“We have not increased the service offer in crowns since the start of the pandemic. while population growth has really accelerated compared to the cities of the center. That means more people, less frequency, and a stagnation of the service, “explains Sylvain Yelle, evoking a” immense challenge “.

His group also requests to enhance the Saint-Jérôme suburban train line. one of the most popular, by funding an electrification study at a cost of 9.5 million. “A power line would go faster and would be more attractive. Then, we could then acquire the entire infrastructure. We are owners of Saint-Jérôme in Blainville. but not from Blainville to Montreal, where it is a peaceful Canadian, ”notes the manager.

Review governance

A few months before his retirement. Sylvain Yelle also calls to review the governance of public transport in Greater Montreal, the heaviness of the system having been often questioned in recent years.

“There is duplication on certain roles that must be removed. At the moment, the service offer must be approved by the Regional Metropolitan Transport Authority (ARTM). It creates a disengagement of cities. since the cycle of approvals is heavy, and it harms the effectiveness of networks, “said the principal interested.

This one proposes that the cities “themselves approve of the service offer. the local budget, rather than going through the artm”. “The role of authority is essential to manage funding. strategic aspects and major projects, but not in details of the local service offer. It must change if we want to deliver more projects, especially in crowns, ”he bus driver boss | sylvain concludes.