A company has stepped in and is now providing transportation services from Estevan to Regina.
Rider Express Transport’s first day of service was on Monday morning. While they didn’t have anyone on their journey from Regina to Estevan, they did have passengers for the trip from Estevan to Regina. Passengers will ride in a 14-passenger van.
The vehicle can accommodate luggage and small parcels, but not larger shipments.
Rider Transport will be providing service to Estevan on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The minibus will depart Estevan at 8 a.m. for the morning run, and 6:30 p.m. for the evening voyage. Passengers can then connect to Saskatoon.
Estevan has been without a passenger service to Regina since the Saskatchewan Transportation Company (STC) was closed by the provincial government in May.
“We like to help the Estevan residents who need service to go to Regina or Saskatoon, because there is no service offered with STC,” said manager Firat Uray.
The minibus will stop in Weyburn to pick up and drop off passengers, and Uray said they could also stop in smaller, rural communities if necessary.
“If there is a passenger request that they would stop in an area, we can top at any gas station where we can pick up and drop off,” said Uray.
A service from Regina to Yorkton started on Tuesday, and it will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Uray said they wanted to started providing service to Estevan and Yorkton as quickly as possible.
If there is enough demand, the company could add more days to its schedule.
The company added Prince Albert to their service schedule last week.
Uray said they have enjoyed good rider numbers for their routes from Regina to Saskatoon, but now they have to let people know they serve other communities.
“People are just getting to know about it,” said Uray. “It takes some time … until people start using the service.”
While there has been opposition regarding the closure of STC and the switch to privately-owned transportation companies, Uray said Rider Express Transport has faced minimal dissent.
