Affected bus drivers offered part time
The five full-time drivers have all been offered positions at 20 hours per week
Five full-time positions for public transit drivers are being eliminated but there will be five part-time options for those affected.
“Each of the affected full-time employees has been offered a part-time position,” said Tim McShane, vice-president CUPE Local No 46.
The part-time positions are for 20 hours a week, and there will be some benefits maintained based on hours worked. Working fewer hours will mean less pensionable time, and it takes longer to build up seniority, said McShane.
The reaction from those affected has included relief from one that there is at least the option of part-time hours. Another is looking at moving to a different full-time position that is currently vacant, said McShane. The union has not heard directly from the other three affected.
“We do think it is unfortunate any time there’s a cut to frontline services, a cut to front-line staff that reduces the services that are available to members of our community,” said McShane.
The city will introduce revised bus routes and operating hours on Sept. 5. The measures are said to cut operating costs by $650,000 a year.
Changes come after a $100,000 study of the service delivery model, which took about 18 months to complete. That money came from part of the provincial government’s transit grant program, “Green Trip,” funding for 14 capital projects worth $4.17 million, according to a News story on April 25.
That funding included $753,000 for new vehicle purchases and $355,000 for accessible stop upgrades. “Facility improvement totals $2.2 million, mostly for modernization of the older sections of the fleet maintenance garage, fencing for the lot and computer systems,” the story stated.
In a story in the News last Saturday, the city said it did not know what the total cost of placing bus shelters at all of the 26 transfer points in the new routes. The downtown terminal, where buses currently converge for transfers to other routes, will no longer be used.
Almost exactly a year ago, Aug. 19, 2016, a story in the News quoted the transit manager at the time, Richard Sieppert, as saying transit use was increasing in Medicine Hat.
“Regular transit service use in 2015 indicated 1.28 million rides. That is up from 1.26 million in 2014, said Sieppert.”
Sieppert estimated usage in 2008, when he started as transit manager, was about 900,000.
Earlier that month the city was given a provincial grant of about $16.5 million under a program to promote green energy for public transport. About $1.8 million was earmarked for electronic fare boxes to be introduced in 2017, said Sieppert.
For transit users to feel more comfortable with the changes to take effect in three weeks, the city has arranged numerous public sessions and a helpline 403-525-8900:
Aug. 16 – FLC – noon to 4 p.m.; Aug. 19 – Co-op mall – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Aug. 23 – hospital – 9 a.m. to noon; Aug. 26 – Medicine Hat Mall – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Aug. 29 – Co-op mall – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Aug. 30 – hospital – 9 a.m. to noon; Sept. 5 – Esplanade – 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Routes in detail are online at: https://www.medicinehat.ca/government/departments/medicine-hat-transit