Quebec’s Société de transport de Laval’s (STL) operational support and user information system for paratransit (SAIEV) has passed all the primary steps and is now a finalist for the 2013 Quebec Public Administration Institute Excellence award in the "e-Government" category.

"Behind all the technology and the complex systems that are designed to send real time information to clients and drivers of the SAEIV system, it is the human solution first and foremost that has allowed us to improve quality of life and increase the social inclusion of people who rely on adapted transportation," said Sylvain Yelle, sr. director, operations.

SAEIV allowed the STL to make major advances in increased efficiency through real-time regulation, route optimization, calling clients the evening before to confirm travel plans and to re-schedule cancelled pickups as well as by sending automated calls to announce the impending arrival of the vehicle.

Since its implementation in November 2012, the system has reduced stoppage time by 30% by sending a notification call to clients waiting for the bus. Same day cancellations were also reduced by making the adapted transportation system even more efficient. These are significant advances for the STL, making them better able to meet punctuality objectives and by reducing waiting times while improving performance.

Last May, the STL took home an excellence award for the SAEIV program from the Quebec Transportations Association who awarded them the 2013 Coup de cœur prize. The Canadian Urban Transit Association also awarded the STL with the Innovation Award at their annual congress in June.

The STL will find out whether it has won the AIPQ's excellence award for developing and implementing the SAEIV system in late November.