TRANSIT UNVEILS NEW FLEET & LONG TERM STRATEGY DETAILS

Saskatoon Transit riders can soon expect to experience greater comfort, reliability and accessibility on every commute. As part of a larger plan to continue improving its service in the city, Saskatoon Transit is unveiling the first buses which are part of a complete fleet renewal strategy.

“We’re going to reduce the overall age of our transit fleet by five years and customers will notice the difference,” says Jim McDonald, Director of Transit. “It’s also more cost effective to operate newer buses over their life span because we don’t have to rely as much on extra maintenance and back-up buses.”

Over the next 10 years, Transit will:

• Reduce its average bus age from 11.9 to 7.3 years, thereby reducing maintenance costs and the size of the fleet given that fewer “spares” are required;
• Provide full accessibility on every bus, along every route;
• Offer air conditioning and other improved amenities on every bus; and
• Increase capacity on busy routes by tripling the number of articulating buses.

Transit currently maintains a fleet of 158 buses, including 100 allotted to daily routes and 58 spares—a spare ratio of 58 per cent. Through its fleet upgrade, Saskatoon Transit will be able to reduce its spare ratio to 33 per cent by 2020 which will greatly reduce operating and maintenance costs.

McDonald stresses the new buses will provide riders with up-to-date transportation consistent with a modern, service-focused transit provider. Some of these improved amenities include: wider aisles, ergonomically designed seating, larger windows, better lighting, automated stop announcements, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

“We’ve seen $75,000 a year in fuel savings from the new buses purchased over the last five years, so we can anticipate even more of those efficiencies,” McDonald says. “Our fleet renewal strategy will get us to where we need to be and deliver the kind of service Saskatoon residents expect.”