Once again, transportation in Saskatchewan has been dealt another huge blow with the cancellation of all Greyhound bus routes from North Ontario to British Columbia, with the exception of one US-based route from Seattle to Vancouver.
As of October 2018 there will no bus service available in Saskatchewan.
The Greyhound route that ranged from Winnipeg to Edmonton via Saskatoon was all that we had left of bus service after the May 2017 shuttering of the Saskatchewan Transportation Company (STC). It may have been just one route, but it still provided some semblance of transportation convenience to those living along Highway 16 or travelling from other parts of Saskatchewan to use the service.
Despite the 41 per cent decline in services across the country since 2010, as noted by Stuart Kendrick, senior vice-president with Greyhound Canada, and a 55 per cent drop in Saskatchewan usage since 2010, according to Peter Hamel, Western Canada regional vice-president, Greyhound Canada, people still need to get around in Western Canada.
For the second time in two years, Saskatchewan is seeing hundreds of jobs lost through the cut to public transportation. According Kendrick, around two million people will be impacted by the Greyhound routes cut.
When STC closed, Saskatchewan lost service to 253 communities across the province. Around 200,000 people from across the province used that service.
In both Manitoba and Saskatchewan, those in charge of making decisions followed the same script: they are being forced to make hard choices. They both also lay blame in the same place.
“The difficult decision to wind up the organization was in response to declining ridership, the growing requirement for subsidies, and the belief that the dollars could be better directed to other government priorities,” former Minister Responsible for STC Joe Hargrave said in a July 18, 2017 press release regarding the STC cancellation.
Kendrick’s words echoed the same sentiments when he announced cuts to Greyhound service in Canada.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce these service impacts for the end of October. We understand that these route changes are difficult for our customers. Despite best efforts over several years…simply put, we can no longer operate unsustainable routes,” he said in a statement on the Greyhound.ca website.
Was there really no possible way to save bus service in either instance? Did anyone look at why service in Saskatchewan saw such a severe drop in service?
Did they explore alternatives to cost-cutting options or fare increases?
Things like smaller, and therefore less expensive, buses and less frequent routes might still allow people the ability to get around, and could reduce costs that might impact the company’s bottom line.
Marginalized communities are going to be the ones the most impacted by this complete elimination of services.
In the STC 2016-2017 annual report, low-income passengers made up 70 per cent of clientele, as well as riders over the age of 65.
Also included in the public transit ridership were medical patients needing to go to Saskatoon or Regina for treatment and women and children escaping domestic violence.
These are the people less likely to have their own form of transportation or the ability to drive themselves.
They do not have many other options when it comes to much needed transportation around the province.
Not having services increases the isolation of certain demographics, like our senior populations.
These are the people who are going to suffer when they lose their only lifeline out of rural communities.
