Saskatoon Access Transit user 'shocked' over service reduction
Starting Thursday, riders looking to take Access Transit to get to their destinations will notice a shift in service over the next three weeks.
In a news release on Wednesday, Saskatoon Transit says the service will temporarily reduce service levels based on available resources.
It’s something Access Transit user Brittany Zuleta wasn’t prepared for as she uses it five days a week.
“I was shocked to hear the news, I’m like, 'why would they do that?'” she told CTV News.
Saskatoon Transit interim director Tracey Davis said the decision was made due to a short-term staffing shortage.
“Retirements, resignations that were naturally occurring anyways. We had a couple of folks who ended up injured unexpectedly,” Davis said.
Saskatoon Transit is hiring new drivers but says it will take time to get them trained.
It says booking an Access Transit bus will be challenging for last-minute spontaneous trips. Davis says Access Transit has roughly 1,800 active customers.
“The chances of getting that trip that they wanted might be reduced and they might experience those delays and might have to travel at an off-peak time,” Davis said.
Zuleta says “it isn’t fair” for people like her who depend on Access Transit to take them from point A to point B regularly.
“I don’t want to be having to pay for a cab or having my parents come get me because it’s not fair to them,” Zuleta said.
Sydney Risley is another Access Transit user and says she tries to use it as much as she can, as taxis are out of her budget and walking long distances is out of the question.
“My roommate, he even said to me, ever since taking Access Transit, I don’t come home as tired,” Risley said.
Saskatoon Transit is advising riders to continue booking trips three days in advance as early as 9 a.m. to avoid possible denials.
In a statement, Saskatoon Transit said Access Transit’s subscription service will not be affected by the decrease in service levels.
"In addition, Saskatoon Transit is actively using a number of third party transportation options to reduce the impact. Normally, there is a cap of how many third party transportation service rides are supplemented each day for customers when Access Transit is overbooked; however in order to reduce the impact on customers, this cap has been removed during this time of service level adjustment," the statement said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.