Montreal’s public transit agency has once again extended a ban on loitering in Metro stations, saying the policy makes the network safer for commuters.
The move-along order, which requires people in the network to be actively travelling, will now remain in effect until April 30, 2027.
Originally introduced as a six-week trial in March 2025, the mandate gives Société de transport de Montréal (STM) special constables the authority to intervene when individuals use stations for reasons unrelated to transit, such as seeking shelter. It was renewed in June of that year until the end of this month.
According to the STM, the measure was applied approximately 2,500 times per month this past winter.
Between November 2025 and March 2026, service disruptions of five minutes or more caused by “voluntary mischief” dropped by 22 per cent compared to the same period the year before.
“To continue improving metro ridership, we must continue to improve customers’ sense of safety on the network,” Aref Salem, a city councillor and the chair of the STM’s board, said in a statement.
“Of course, we are aware that mandatory travel cannot be the only tool. This measure is part of a set of measures that the STM is implementing to ensure safety and the feeling of safety on the network, and we will continue to enhance them.”
However, advocates for those experiencing homelessness say the policy targets the city’s most vulnerable. The Réseau d’aide aux personnes seules et itinérantes de Montréal (RAPSIM) has previously warned that the ban makes things worse for those without a safe place to go, noting that vulnerable women are especially affected.
“These spaces offer them relative protection from harassment, intimidation, theft and street violence, to which they are particularly exposed,” the group said.