There were fewer Saskatoon Transit buses available during the last cold snap, particularly in the morning, which is when the largest amount of buses would normally on the road. That was a longer cold spell. The one we are in now is expected to push through tomorrow (Thurs).

The General Manager of Transportation & Construction told the Transportation Committee that the mechanics weren’t able to keep up with the number of breakdowns because of the cold. Terry Schmidt explains that when it’s cold, there are issues with the emission controls which would cause the engine light to come on, and the systems that operate with air, like the breaks, suspension and doors, would freeze up. The mechanics worked overtime and buses were sent out to the private sector to get fixed, but they couldn’t keep up.

The biggest issue, Schmidt says, is a depleted number of buses, the ratio of spare buses smaller than other cities. Transit Director Jim McDonald says they are waiting for federal funding to help buy new buses, but it is delayed. There haven’t been any new buys in two to three years.

Councillor David Kirton noted that on January 7th, Saskatoon Transit was 25 buses short, and leaving people out in the cold because of delays can’t be an option. He believes City Council should take some of the responsibility for the bus delays in the extreme cold, and understands that more buses will needs to be purchased in the future.