Public transit users tired of waiting in the cold for a late bus to finally arrive may have some relief.

The STM has introduced the first step in a long-awaited project called iBus.

As of Friday, passengers can find out when their bus is going to arrive in real time, or whether or not they’ve missed it.

That information is available either on the STM's website or on a third-party app called Transit.

The chair of the STM Philippe Schnobb says it will be especially useful during storms and snow removal operations, when everything gets delayed.

Starting in January, that information is also going to be available on another app, run by the regional transit authority, called Chrono. It’s part of a plan for the STM to make its data available to developers to see who comes up with the best apps and which ones stick around.

This is just the beginning, the STM promises, saying that sometime in 2018, public transit users will be able to track buses on maps on the STM’s website or on the apps. It will also offer customized information that would let passengers know, for example, if a bus stop has been cancelled.

There will also be real-time schedules in 75 digital transit shelters and passengers can receive real-time schedules via text message.