SASKATOON TRANSIT MANAGEMENT IS FAILING THE CITIZENS OF SASKATOON!

Press Release

SASKATOON – March 8, 2022 If you want to know how reliable Saskatoon Transit is, just ask the riders who rely on public transit to get to work, school, or important appointments. Many were left stranded in extreme cold weather this winter – and the bus never arrived.

Daily cuts and reductions of Saskatoon Transit services are signalling a growing concern on the ability of those decision makers in the transit agency to Keep Saskatoon Moving. “Transit Riders and workers are expressing extreme frustration of repeated route cancellations and service reductions” says ATU Local 615 President, Darcy Pederson.

Many routes continue to be shut down on any given day without advance notice. Transit has become completely unreliable. While James McDonald, Saskatoon Transit Director blames it on a shortage of parts and an aging fleet of vehicles, recent deputants at City Council made compelling arguments – that transit fleets in several Canadian cities, which have similar vehicle age and fleet size, don’t have the same deficiencies that are happening in Saskatoon. It’s a failure of management to provide proper scheduling and preventative maintenance planning.

“The transit agency is claiming extreme weather conditions and supply chain issues as the main culprit for service disruptions, as opposed to looking at themselves for poor decision making and planning “says John Di Nino, President of ATU Canada. “Maybe its time for Director, James McDonald to step off the bus and hand over the steering wheel to someone who can operate it.”

The ATU is demanding city hall to step in immediately to reintroduce and deliver the service levels that Saskatoon riders expect and need everyday.

Media Contact:
Rose Carusone
rose@atucanada.ca
416-949-8641