Gatineau, Canada transit deploys $1M AI system to predict bus breakdowns by 2026

The Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO), Gatineau’s public transit authority, plans to deploy AI-powered sensors across its entire bus fleet by 2026 to monitor engine conditions and predict maintenance needs. The initiative, backed by a three-year, $1 million contract with Memphis-based Preteckt, aims to improve service reliability as the transit authority grapples with an aging fleet and operational challenges.

What you should know: STO’s predictive maintenance system will use real-time data collection and AI analysis to detect potential engine failures before they occur.

• Sensors will continuously monitor engine conditions and alert maintenance teams when vehicles are at risk of breakdown.
• The goal is to reduce unexpected service disruptions and improve punctuality for transit users.
• Patrick Leclerc, STO’s director general, emphasized the customer benefits: “This will allow us to detect issues in advance. [It will bring] better reliability, more punctuality and it really benefits customers.”

Why this matters: STO is dealing with significant fleet challenges that directly impact service quality and operational costs.

• The average age of STO’s buses has increased from eight to 11 years since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
• Currently, 35 out of roughly 350 buses are out of operation, creating service capacity issues.
• The AI system could help maximize the utility of aging vehicles while the agency waits for fleet modernization.

The partnership details: STO selected Preteckt, a Memphis-based AI predictive maintenance company specializing in vehicle maintenance, through a provincial tendering process.

• The contract value is just under $1 million and runs for three years.
• While the system aims to improve efficiency, STO has not disclosed expected maintenance cost savings.

Broader operational challenges: The AI initiative comes as STO faces multiple infrastructure and funding hurdles beyond fleet maintenance.

• The agency is still awaiting provincial funding for an $85 million maintenance center electrification project.
• Without this funding, STO expects to have 26 electric vehicles by 2027 but lacks the charging capacity to support them.
• Summer maintenance efforts focused on recovering buses waiting for parts, with Leclerc noting that recovering “three buses per day” helps maintain full service levels.