Gatineau bus riders slightly happier with city's transit service

Gatineaubusriders are slightly happier with the city's transit service than they were two years ago, according to a recent survey.

The overall satisfaction rate withSocit de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) rose from 6.5 points out of 10 in 2016 to seven out of 10last year, according to the survey conducted byLgeron behalf of the transit company.

The survey whichprovided rates for each of the city's districts found thatAylmerresidents were the least satisfied with the transit service, where satisfaction rates barelyrose from 6.2 to 6.3.

In the eastern districts of Buckingham and Masson-Angers, meanwhile, thesatisfaction increase was the highest, rising from 5.9 to 7.1.

The Gatineau district has the highestsatisfaction rate, at 7.3 out of 10 higher than before the city's Rapibusnetwork came online in 2012, which shows howthe network has become animportant facet of Gatineauresidents' daily lives, the transit agency said in a press release.

Bus frequency 'moderately satisfactory'

STOpresident Myriam Nadeau told Radio-Canada that the transit agency has worked to improve the punctuality and frequency of buses especially in critical areas.

We are aware that we have adjustments to make, some we will adopt in the coming spring.- MyriamNadeau,STOpresident

She acknowledged, however, that there'sstill work to be done in Aylmer.

"We are aware that we have adjustments to make. Some we will adopt in the coming spring, in April, [so that they are rectified by]the fall,"she told Radio-Canada in a French-language interview.

The survey also found that the STO's information tools received a satisfaction rate of 7.5, whiledrivercourtesywas rated at8.3.

The frequency of STO buses, however, was only deemed to be "moderately satisfactory" with a score of 6.3, according to Lger.

Lgerinterviewed 828 people over the phone and 178 people online in December 2017 for the survey, which has a margin of error of 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

The STO has statedits goal isto increase its overall satisfaction rate to 7.8 out of 10 by 2027.