This van is being used to transport passengers between the communities. (Submitted photo/Victor Hoosein)

By Derek Cornet

New Service

Aurora adds new passenger service route in La Ronge

Sep 25, 2019 | 1:11 PM

A new charter and bus service called Aurora will begin providing transportation to residents in the tri-communities to Prince Albert and Saskatoon.

The service is expected to launch Sept. 30 and business owner Victor Hoosein stated he initially launched Aurora in mid-August. He noted there had been a lot of people asking if the company was also providing rides to La Ronge, which encouraged him to expand to the area as well. Currently, Aurora is only providing rides between Prince Albert and Saskatoon.

“We did not realize there was such a great need, so we decided to start looking into it and we are licensed to be in La Ronge as well,” adding the pick-up and drop-off point is the Co-op Gas Bar in La Ronge. “At 9 a.m., the bus will leave and will make a drop off in Prince Albert and then carry anyone else on to Saskatoon.”

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, a 15-passenger van will leave La Ronge at 9 a.m. and arrive in Prince Albert at noon. It will leave Prince Albert at 12:30 p.m. and arrive in Saskatoon at 2 p.m., before leaving back to Prince Albert a half-hour later and arriving in the city at 4 p.m. Hoosein stated there are no round trips to La Ronge in the same day.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the van will leave Prince Albert for Saskatoon at 7 a.m. and arrive at 8:30 a.m. It will leave back to Prince Albert at 9 a.m., arrive at 10:30 a.m. and depart for La Ronge at 11 a.m. The van will arrive in La Ronge at 4 p.m. on those days.

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“As we expand, eventually we will get a trailer so we can accommodate more passengers,” Hoosein said. “If things go well from there, we’ll look into getting another vehicle and try starting some different routes.”

Aurora will also provide a parcel delivery service between La Ronge, Prince Albert and Saskatoon. There are variety of payment options for passengers as well, but Hoosein requests the public to call first to book a spot at 1-306-961-6178.

Two other companies have also attempted to operate a passenger service between La Ronge and Prince Albert including L.A. Family Shuttle and Rider Express. Both companies no longer provide service along the route.

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno