SASKATOON TRANSIT FACING SERVICE DISRUPTIONS
For Release: August 29, 2014
Saskatoon Transit will not have sufficient buses available to run full transit service starting on Tuesday, September 2, 2014. There is a backlog of maintenance on our fleet which prevents us from running all services.
“Transit is doing everything possible to minimize the impact to customers”, says Bob Howe, Director of Saskatoon Transit “We are not operating in normal circumstances and the backlog is caused by a number of factors.”
“We are working hard to find solutions to address the backlog of buses which need maintenance”, Howe says. “We have sent out as many buses for repair to the private sector as we can. We have also been attempting to hire qualified mechanics to maintain our fleet”.
“It has been extremely difficult to attract mechanics to Saskatoon Transit. We have been advertising for vacant journeyman mechanics; however, in a highly competitive market it is difficult to recruit when still advertising 2012 wage rates”, Howe says. Although the City has offered a 10% wage increase these rates cannot be advertised until there is a new collective agreement. We have been in an environment of labour uncertainty for the last number of months which has proven to be challenging.
At this time, all regular routes and Dart routes will still be operating. It is primarily the service upgrades we offer such as High School Specials, Direct services, and those extra buses to accommodate the large number of transit users on popular routes, during peak times. We are regrettably not able to provide all of these services given the backlog of buses needing maintenance.
“In all situations where transit is being suspended, there are still other route options for getting to your destination,” Howe says.
There are a number of ways available for residents to find alternate bus routes:
- Transit Click & Go - Visit www.saskatoon.ca and search for route options using Transit Click & Go.
- Phone & Go – Call 306-975-7500 to access Phone & Go, a trip planning service available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. By following phone prompts, you can plan your transit trip using the most up-to-date information, or find the next buses servicing a stop.
- Customer Service Representative – Call 306-975-3100 to speak with a Customer Service Representative or visit our Saskatoon Transit Customer Centre, located at the Downtown Terminal on 23rd Street. Visit www.saskatoon.ca for hours of operation.
The following services will be suspended or delayed effective Tuesday, September 2:
- All High School Specials (with exception of College Park to St. Joseph) will be suspended
- All Downtown Direct and University Direct services will be suspended
- Extra buses during peak travel times for popular transit routes will be suspended (e.g. Route 80 – Kenderdine/City Centre)
The implementation of new routes will be delayed:
- Route 26 (Clarence/University)
- Express Routes for Parkridge, Willowgrove and Kenderdine Express
The following services will be running on Tuesday, September 2:
- All regular routes
- All Dart routes
- College Park to St. Joseph High School Special
- Caswell School Special
The following new temporary services will be provided starting Tuesday, September 2:
- Shuttle buses from Centre Mall to Holy Cross and Walter Murray Collegiate.
- Shuttle buses from Confederation Terminal to Bethlehem & Tommy Douglas Collegiate.
“All routes are anticipated to experience increased usage,” Howe says. “We encourage transit users to consider adjusting their trip times, if possible, to avoid peak morning and afternoon trip times.”
To find out if your routes are affected or to plan an alternate route please visit our website at www.saskatoon.ca, use our 24-hour automated Phone & Go service or call a Customer Service Representative.
We will continue to provide service updates as soon as we have the fleet able to meet our enhanced service level beyond our core operations.
The City of Saskatoon apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.
For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.