Mapping out bus routes and schedules, recruiting and training staff, driving and maintaining buses, keeping users informed, etc. A lot goes on behind every ride!

When STL users take the bus, they generally see only the driver. But there’s a whole team working in the background making sure the bus service in Laval runs smoothly.

The STL employs 950+ people, including 600 drivers, 115 mechanics, body repair technicians, engineers and other maintenance personnel, plus 230 office staff. The network, the projects, the garage, the terminals, the finances, the human resources, the marketing and the communications – the tasks involved are as varied as the expertise required to perform them. There’s an entire supporting cast backstage, behind the bus, working alongside the driver. Infrastructure Project Manager Ghazouani Cherkaoui emphasizes that “everyone is friendly and unpretentious, regardless of their place in the hierarchy.”

There are plenty of challenges and undertakings keeping the employees motivated, whether within the scope of regular day-to-day operations, or the ongoing conversion to an electric fleet or expansion of the garage. “The STL enables me to raise the bar for myself and find professional fulfilment, without having to compromise the importance I place on family,” says Élisabeth Banville, Change Management Advisor. The STL Quality Commitment Program is yet another great motivator as it inspires employees to provide outstanding customer service. It also commits the STL to predetermined service standards in terms of being on time, polite, providing users with a safe and clean environment, and keeping them properly informed, otherwise users receive compensation. These standards serve as a rallying point for the employees, and everyone puts their heart and soul into meeting them.

Sometimes the STL community extends beyond the workplace. Employees regularly get together for their running and cycling clubs, or for hockey and softball tournaments. Each year, the Boomerang committee organizes numerous fundraising activities for the Centre de bénévolat de Laval. Employees appreciate their working conditions and work environment, which explains why the STL ranks 78th on the Forbes 2019 list of best employers in Canada. Public transit is an exciting field, and if you’re interested in being a part of it, visit stlaval.ca/careers.