Days of free buses will end on June 8
Fares, front entry are being reinstated while union urges riders to wear masks
Riding a bus in Saskatoon will start to feel a bit more normal next month after city council approved a plan to reinstate fares and frontdoor entry, and free up a few extra seats for passengers.
Concerns about capacity remain, as an expected increase in demand during the third phase of the provincial plan to reopen the economy conflicts with public health orders limiting close contact.
“It’s a huge concern for us,” Saskatoon Transit director Jim Mcdonald said Wednesday, after council unanimously approved the changes, which are set to come into force on June 8.
“The biggest worry … is getting people back to transit, and then making sure that when we bring people back to transit, we’re not stopping them … because we don’t have enough seats,” he added.
Saskatoon Transit buses are currently limited to 10 passengers; reintroducing front-door entry will make between three and five additional seats available for riders while maintaining distancing.
Ridership collapsed from around 38,000 trips per day before the pandemic to between 1,000 and 2,000 riders per day in March. Mcdonald said it’s now back up to around 6,500 passengers per day.
Demand is expected to increase again when a host of businesses, including restaurants and gyms, are permitted to reopen. There have already been reports of full buses passing people waiting at stops.
While Mcdonald argued fares will deter people from riding aimlessly and taking up seats needed by those making essential trips, a Bus Riders of Saskatoon spokesman questioned that logic.
“I don’t think there are many of those,” said Robbert Clipperton.
At the same time, Clipperton said there have been more reports of full buses since the second phase of the reopening plan kicked in on May 19, and capacity issues are the main concern.
“We don’t want people to be left behind. We want to be sure that everybody who wants to take the bus can get on the bus,” he said.
Amalgamated Transit Union local 615 president Darcy Pederson expressed support for the plan, which includes temporary vinyl shields to protect drivers, in a letter to council.
The union also “strongly encourages” passengers to wear masks, Pederson wrote.
While Saskatoon Transit is following health authorities’ guideline that masks are “recommended,” city manager Jeff Jorgenson said there are active conversations about the future of transit.
“The mask issue, I don’t think we’ve seen the last of it,” Jorgenson said.
Clipperton said the grassroots group “overwhelmingly” supports mandatory masks, but Mcdonald emphasized that can cause a “whole host of problems and issues” Saskatoon Transit does not have the capacity to deal with.
Before approving the proposal, council narrowly rejected Coun. Hilary Gough’s motion to reinstate fares a week later than planned to improve communication and ensure a smooth transition.
“We want to get this right the first time,” she said of her motion, the substance of which was supported by the inter-agency group working to help vulnerable people during the pandemic.
The majority of council favoured the original June 8 date. Coun. Bev Dubois said it makes sense since that is the scheduled date for the third phase of the economic reopening.
“Folks want to return to normal,” she said.
While fares are set to resume next month, Saskatoon Transit expects revenues will be far beneath pre-pandemic levels — about 15 per cent of what it would otherwise expect to collect.
That is expected to leave the service with an annual shortfall of between $8.4 and $10.3 million; the city’s overall worst-case annual operating deficit was most recently estimated at $32.9 million.