School bus drivers upset with change in maximum speed

REGINA – Some Regina school bus drivers are upset with a change in the maximum speed they are allowed to travel.

The company which holds the Regina Public School transportation contract, Warner Transportation, reduced the speed governors on its 116 buses from 110 km/h to 100 km/h last week.

Warner Transportation said the change was made in the best interest of the safety of the students.

However, some drivers tell Global News they would feel safer with the ability to go the maximum speed limit when traveling out of town on field trips, for example.

The Saskatchewan Safety Council said safe driving means travelling with the flow of traffic, but it doesn’t think 10 km/h would necessary impede that flow.

“There’s a range within that flow,” said Ron Hromek, a safety instructor. “10 km/h would be a reasonable range, within the flow of traffic, but once we get slower than that, we will impede traffic.”

Highways with a speed limit of 110 km/h in Saskatchewan are divided. “When you have, for example, two lanes going the same direction, it’s not a problem,” said Hromek. “It’s not a problem because the faster traffic can choose to pull into the left lane.”

STC and Regina city buses all have their speed governors set at 110 km/h.

“The reason behind that is to allow the buses to provide a charter service, which the transit department does from time to time,” said Kari Koivisto, director of Regina’s fleet services department.

The Regina Public School division said it supports the bus company’s decision to lower the governor because it contributes to the safety of the students.

Meantime, First Student Canada said the speed governors on its buses are set by the manufacturer, which vary between 100 and 110 km/h.