‘Very limiting’: Advocates and riders worry about possible cuts to paratransit services

Last week, CEO Bill Powalinsky told paNOW the CSC needs an additional $103,000 this calendar year to continue providing the bus service. The increase is due to inflation and the cost of fuel.

If they don’t get that funding, they’ll have to stop offering evening and weekend transit.

“We’re extremely disappointed with the 2024 allocation from the city. We are, however, more than willing to negotiate a workable budget with the city for this calendar year,” Powalinsky said at the press conference.

The CSC was given nearly $572,000 from the city through the 2024 municipal budget. This is the same amount they received in 2022 and 2023. It is up from the roughly $538,000 the organization received from 2019 to 2021.

(Derek Craddock/paNOW Staff)

When news that a lack of funding could mean no evening or weekend services, there was shock, disbelief, and sorrow.

One rider, Marian Sand, could not hold back her tears when thinking about what would happen if she was unable to take the bus on evenings and weekends. Sand took 355 trips on Access Transit in 2023.

“How am I going to church on Sundays if it’s cut on weekends? That’s my only way and means of transportation to go to church,” she said.

Sand and other riders in attendance said taking taxis is not feasible because it’s expensive and they don’t have the connection or relationship with the cab driver — something they’ve built with their bus drivers.

“If I have to take the cab, it’s going to cost me more money to go up there with the cab than going with the bus,” said Elaine Feschuk who had around 160 rides with the service last year.

“To pay other services and that within the limited budget, they’re all on very low, fixed incomes and it would be very limiting to their ability to get out into the community and do those activities,” said advocate Terry Field.

Powalinsky said they have been working with the city on a full-time accessible taxi since 2016. While some companies have provided that service in the past, it was always on a temporary basis. They’ve yet to have a consistent, permanent service set up in Prince Albert.

He also touched on the fact that many riders use these buses to attend sporting events like Raiders hockey games. Powalinsky noted the new arena and aquatic centre being built will have several wheelchair-accessible spaces inside. However, if the service is no longer running evenings and weekends, he asked how those spots would be filled.

Last week, Mayor Greg Dionne responded to the requests from the CSC saying that they’re working on setting up a contract that would include the additional funding requested.

“I understood that we had a deal, that we would move ahead (and) get the contract done by May of this year (at the latest),” said Dionne.

He added the city wants that contract finished before any extra funds are given as it will outline exactly what everything is being used on. Powalinsky agreed that talks on a contract had restarted, though any additional funding would start in 2025, not 2024.

An online petition has since been launched to ask the city to allocate the extra $103,000 for the paratransit service.

–With files from Jaryn Vecchio

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

by Derek Craddock

‘Very limiting’: Advocates and riders worry about possible cuts to paratransit services

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