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Manitoba Hydro pumps the brakes on subsidized transit route

Joe Scarpelli / Global News

Manitoba Hydro is cancelling a transit route it has been subsidizing with ratepayer money for the last decade.

Hydro has decided to cut its losses on the bus service, which has cost them more than $55,000 annually over the last two years.

During peak a.m. and p.m. hours, an average of 36 riders used the route.

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The Taylor Avenue stop outside of the old Hydro offices was created in 2008 to help employees get to their new workplace in downtown Winnipeg. But the buses never completely caught on with workers.

Numbers provided to the city show passenger loads of less than three people.

A Hydro spokesperson said on Thursday that the route wasn’t nixed until this year to accommodate a small number of employees who had to remain at the old building.

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But the space and its adjoining Park and Ride service wasn’t just available to employees.

Hundreds of football fans will be happy to know the service will still be an option for those heading to Blue Bomber games at Investors Group Field — at least for the foreseeable future.

The plans to stop subsidizing the route and to take down the accompanying shelter will head to City Hall on Friday.

They’re expected to take effect in December.

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