Co-operatives are a familiar concept in Saskatchewan, and now a Regina-based group is in the early phases of trying to apply that model to an inter-community bus service.
Dylan Morin first came up with the idea for the Saskway Co-operative Bus Service following the closer of STC.
“People with physical disabilities and those who are elderly or in a wheelchair are unable to get into vans,” Morin said.
Companies like DiCal that have started servicing former Saskatchewan Transportation Company (STC) routes primarily use 15 passenger vans, which Morin said can be an issue for those with disabilities.
Morin, along with Kevin Grey, hosted their first open house in Regina Monday night. They will be hosting another information session on November 27th at the Broadway Roastery in Saskatoon.
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Grey said the idea is still in its infancy, and at this point they are looking for community partners.
“It’s going to be really dependent upon what kind of support there is out there. So if we can find a number of folks that are willing to roll up their sleeves and do some fundraising and how we can make this work for their community. I think we’ll all be better off,” Grey said.
Specifics are still being worked out, but Grey said co-op members who invest in the potential bus service would be able to ride at a discounted rate.
However, he said don’t expect this to be a resurrection of STC.
“It’s not going to look like STC at all. It’s going to service some of the routes, but at this point in time we’ll need a tremendous amount of money and resources,” Grey said.
Their main goal right now is to devise fundraising efforts in order to buy or lease necessary equipment to make the co-op a reality.
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